Mercer University
Western Caro.
Bears Pick Up Win on Final Day of Seminole Classic
2/19/2012 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Game One: BOX SCORE
Game Two: BOX SCORE
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Mercer softball team split a pair of games on the final day of the Florida St. Seminole Classic on Sunday afternoon.
The Bears pulled out an impressive 13-2 rematch victory over Western Carolina in game one and then fell to tournament host Florida St., 3-0 in the game two. The split moves the Bears overall record to 2-7 to start the 2012 campaign.
GAME ONE
The Bears (2-6, 0-0 A-Sun) picked up where they left off on Sunday, getting out to another quick start against Western Carolina in game one. MU put up four on the Catamounts in the first inning of last night's win and then added three in the first on Sunday morning.
The Bears then added five in the second, four in the third and one in the fourth to run-rule the Catamounts for a second-straight game. The 11-run victory was a season high for the Orange and Black.
Sophomore leadoff batter, McKenzie Woody's propensity to get on base has been a huge advantage for head coach James DeFeo. Her leadoff single in the first got the Bears off and running and helped ignite a Bears offense to score three runs off a pair of hits and two Western Carolina errors.
Woody finished the game going 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. She leads the team with a .393 batting average
Senior pitcher Kassie Bailey received the start in game one and became the first Mercer pitcher this season to throw a complete game. Bailey went all five innings, giving up just one earned run on five hits and five strikeouts.
Bailey's efforts were felt on the offensive side as well as she went 2-for-4 at the plate with a double and a pair of RBI in the Bear's five-run second inning. She also had a double to start the third inning as well.
Senior shortstop Sara Stukes hit her second third home run of the season, adding the Bears 13th and final run of the game. Her solo shot to right center in the top of the fourth gave her two RBI in the game mad tied her with Tiffany Phillips for a team-high eight RBI on the year.
Bailey finished strong, allowing just two hits over the final three innings. She closed out the game, facing the minimum in the bottom of the fifth and her five hits allowed were the fewest for a Bears' starting pitcher this season.
GAME TWO
Coming off an impressive outing last night, freshman pitcher Jessica Holsinger earned the start against Florida St. in game two. Holsinger again looked strong against the Seminoles, holding the tournament host to just two runs on five hits through five.
Florida St., did just enough to plate the game-winning runs in the the second inning off a pair of infield RBI singles. Holsinger would allow just one other run in the bottom of the sixth, which kept the Bears in the contest.
Offensively however, the Bears were stymied throughout much of the game and saw their best scoring chance slip away in the fourth. Kristin Marko led-off the inning with a double to center field. Three batters later, Sarah Santana had an opportunity to drive in a run, but instead struck out swinging to end the threat.
The Bears tagged Florida St. starting pitcher Lacey Waldrop for five hits of their own, but couldn't come up with the necessary run support to give Holsinger her second win of the season.
The Bears freshman pitcher went six complete, giving up just two earned runs on seven hits against a talented Florida St. team.
Mercer returns to action next Saturday and Sunday at the Samford Softball Scramble in Birmingham, Ala. The Bears will face off against Samford and Eastern Illinois in the two-day tournament.
