Mercer University
Samford
Bears Pick Up Doubleheader Sweep at Samford Scramble
2/25/2012 12:00:00 AM | Softball
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Mercer softball team picked up a doubleheader sweep over Samford and Eastern Illinois on day one of the Samford Softball scramble on Saturday.
The Bears (4-7) opened up with a 6-2 win over Samford (3-7) before downing E. Illinois (3-2) 2-0 in game two.
The Bears have now won four out of their last five games with both senior Kassie Bailey and freshman Jessica Holsinger tallying the complete game victories on the day.
GAME ONE - MERCER 6, SAMFORD 2
Seniors Kristin Marko and Sara Stukes combined for five RBIs in the Bears 6-2 win over Samford in the opening game of the tournament.
Marko posted a pair of hits and registered three RBIs, including a two-run home run in the top half of the third inning to open up the Bears' scoring. She added an RBI single in the Bears' three-run fifth, giving her eight on the year.
In the top half of the fourth inning, the Bears would deposit another Harmon offering over the Bulldog field fence, when Stukes belted solo shot, her third of the season, to extend the Bears' lead to 3-0.
The Bears added three more insurance runs in the top half of the fifth. Mercer benefitted off a Bulldog miscue, when freshman centerfielder McKenzie Woody reached base on an error and advanced to second base.
Marko capped her three-RBI effort by singling to right field, bringing home Woody in the process to make it a 4-0 Mercer advantage. The Bears next batter, senior right-fielder Tiffany Phillips blooped a single to left, allowing Amber Bowman to score from second making the score 5-0.
It was then that Stukes' earned her second RBI of the afternoon, as she singled up the middle to making it 6-0.
Samford tacked on a couple runs in the bottom half of the fifth, one of which included a solo homer from Allie Adams.
Senior Kassie Bailey earned her second-straight complete game victory on Saturday and improved to 2-2 on the season.
Bailey went the distance, yielding seven hits, two earned runs, while striking out a pair of Bulldogs. She finished the game throwing 103 pitches.
GAME 2 - MERCER 2, EASTERN ILLINOIS 0
Mercer picked up its second victory of the day, dispatching Eastern Illinois 2-0 equating to the team's first shutout of the season. Holsinger was coming off a solid outing against Florida St. last weekend and continued her success, allowing just three hits and seven strikeouts in seven innings of work against the Panthers. Holsinger is now 2-1 on the year.
The only offense the Bears needed was provided in the bottom of the fourth inning. Bailey, who started in right after her game one victory, got the inning off to a strong start for the Bears. She lead-off with her first-career triple to right field and was brought home on the very next play when Stukes lofted with a sacrifice fly to left.
Mercer tacked on an insurance run when junior catcher Sara Santana belted her second of the season, a solo home run, giving the Bears the 2-0 lead.
Holsinger cruised from there, posting the career-high seven strikeouts in her first complete-game shutout.
The same three teams faceoff tomorrow with Mercer playing E. Illinois first at noon and finishing up with Samford at 4:30.
