Mercer University
Georgia St.
Bears Watch Sweep Slip Away; Split at Georgia St.
3/11/2012 12:00:00 AM | Softball
PANTHERSVILLE, Ga. – After taking a 3-2 victory in game one, the Mercer softball team watched a potential sweep of in-state rival Georgia St. slip away in the seventh inning on Sunday as four Mercer errors led a 2-1 victory for the Panthers in game two.
The Bears remain a game under .500 after the split at 11-12 while Georgia St. moves to 19-6 on the year. Mercer rode a complete-game outing from freshman pitcher Jessica Holsinger in game one and senior Kassie Bailey recorded the loss in game two as the game-winning run came across off a wild pitch in the bottom of the seventh.
GAME ONE
The Bears utilized another solid outing from freshman pitcher Jessica Holsinger to take a 3-2 come-from-behind victory in game one. Holsinger gave up just two runs in the first inning before holding the Panthers scoreless in the final six. Holsinger finished with her sixth complete game of the season and moved to 6-1 overall.
Mercer fell behind early when the Panthers' Callie Alford laced a two-out single through the middle of the Bears' infield to put the Panthers up 2-0 after one.
Mercer began to slowly pressure State's starting pitcher Alana Thomas starting in the second when Sara Stukes plated the Bears' first run off a Thomas passed ball.
Sophomore McKenzie Woody extended her hitting streak to 11 in the game, and represented the tying run when she was hit by a pitch as the leadoff batter in the top of third. She advanced to second off a wild pitch and then moved over to third off a deep fly out to right off the bat of senior Kristin Marko.
After a Kassie Bailey ground out to short, junior Sarah Santana came to plate with her .308 average with runners in scoring position. Santana crushed a single that hit just a foot below the top of the right field fence, which scored Woody to tie the game at two.
Mercer would take the lead for good in the top of the fifth when Woody again reached safely off her second hit of the game, this time a liner back to the pitcher. Woody moved into scoring position by virtue of her 14th stolen base of the season.
The Bears' next batter, senior Kassie Bailey recorded her 11th RBI of the season off a single through the middle of the infield to score woody. Bailey's RBI single gave the Bears the 3-2 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth.
Holsinger did the rest of the work setting down the Panthers in order in the final two innings. Holsinger finished with seven complete innings, allowing four hits and two earned while striking out five. Georgia St. left eight runners on base in the game.
GAME TWO
Mercer jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead in game two when McKenzie Woody led off the game with her first-career triple. Bailey, who started game two inside the circle, brought Woody home on the very next play with a single trough the right side of the infield to give the Bears the quick 1-0 lead.
An unearned run came across in the bottom of the second for the Panthers when Whitney Phillips hit a two-out double to left center that scored Carrie Williams from first.
Bailey would settle down allowing just three hits through six innings of work and took the 1-1 tie into the seventh. Bailey allowed just the one run while striking out one and walking one going into the final inning. What came to bite the Bears in game two was four errors including a passed ball that allowed the final run to score in the bottom of the seventh.
Bailey allowed a Whitney Phillips single in the seventh and then another Mercer error put runners into scoring position for the Panthers. Whitney Phillips would end the game, scoring from third off Bailey's wild pitch.
The Bears return to action this Wednesday as Georgia Southern head to Sikes Field for a 4 p.m. doubleheader.
