Mercer University
Lipscomb
Bears Outdueled In Pair of 1-0 Losses at Lipscomb
4/22/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – In a pair of highly competitive Atlantic Sun games, the Mercer Bears softball team was narrowly outdueled by the Lipscomb Lady Bisons on Friday night, losing 1-0 in two games.
Each of the two runs the Bears (26-22, 8-10 A-Sun) allowed on Friday night came as a result of errors by the Bears normally reliable defense. The Bears gave up a run in the fourth in game one and then played into extra innings in game two, losing on a walk off single in the bottom of the ninth.
The losses move the Bears back to sixth position in the current Atlantic Sun standings with just one conference date left in the 2011 regular season.
Senior Kari Chambers and junior Kassie Bailey each had impressive outings inside the circle for the Bears. The two combined to strike out 13 batters in the two games and allowed just two runs. Unfortunately for the Bears, Lipscomb's pitching staff was one step ahead.
Mercer was only able to tag Lipscomb pitchers for eight hits in the two games and didn't advance a runner past second base in the doubleheader.
In game one, Bailey received the start and went three innings giving up just two hits. She put herself into a jam in the fourth when she let up a leadoff single and then hit a batter and then advanced the runners into scoring position on an error.
Chambers came in relief and gave up an RBI double to the first batter she faced, which accounted for the Lady Bisons game-winning run. After that Chambers couldn't be touched finishing the day with six innings pitched and nine strikeouts.
Offensively for the Bears, freshman McKenzie Woody laced a single in each of the games and was the only player on the Bears roster to record a hit in both games. She extended her current hitting streak to seven games and is the second longest streak for her this season, as she put together an 11-game hitting streak earlier in the season.
Game two saw the Bears play to their fifth extra-inning game of the season. Chambers started the second game and then went just three innings before Bailey came in relief. Bailey kept the Lipscomb bats at bay and went 5.2 innings before giving up the walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth.
The Bears will have another non-conference break between their final A-Sun doubleheader as the team travels to Georgia Tech next Wednesday. Mercer finishes up their 2011 A-Sun regular season at home next Saturday against Kennesaw St.
The in-state rivalry could have post-season implications as the two teams are jockeying position for one of the final three spots yet to be decided for the A-Sun tournament.
