Mercer University
Mississippi Val.
Bears Pick Up Two Wins on Final Day of Tiger Classic
3/18/2012 12:00:00 AM | Softball
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Mercer softball team left Nashville late Sunday evening above .500 for the first time this season after picking up a pair of impressive wins over Mississippi Valley State and Tennessee State on day two of the Tiger Classic.
Mercer earned its second shutout in as many days with an 8-0 victory over Mississippi Valley St. in game one and then took a 6-5 win over tournament host Tennessee St. in game two. Three Bears were also named to the Tiger Classic All-Tournament Team with sophomore McKenzie Woody taking home MVP honors.
Senior first baseman Kristin Marko and freshman pitcher Jessica Holsinger also both earned spots on the All-Tournament team.
With the two wins on Sunday, the Bears end the weekend perfect a 3-0 and currently sport a 15-13 overall record heading into the final week of non-conference play.
GAME ONE
A day after the Mercer softball team limited St. Bonaventure to zero runs on two hits, the Bears pitching staff again came up big with an 8-0 shutout win against Mississippi Valley State in game one on Sunday.
Bears' freshman pitcher Jessica Holsinger was two outs away from her first career no-hitter when Mississippi Valley St. recorded its lone hit the bottom of the fifth – a double to left center. Holsinger cruised against the Devilettes, striking out eight en route to her seventh win of the season. The eight strikeouts tied a career-high for Holsinger.
The Bears offense ended things early by scoring two in the first and three in both the second and third innings off nine total hits. Sophomore McKenzie Woody led the Bears going a perfect 3-for-3 on the day including her first career home run – an inside the parker that scored three runs in the second.
With a 5-0 lead heading into the third, senior Sara Stukes tied a team lead with her fourth home run of the season and extended the Bears lead to 7-0 off a deep two-run blast to center. Mercer's next batter, Tiffany Phillips hit the first triple of her career and was brought home two batters later off a Krista Kennedy RBI groundout to short.
The Phillips run equated to the Bears eighth and Holsinger made short work of the Devilettes in the fifth to run-rule an end the game in the fifth.
GAME TWO
The Bears needed some late inning heroics in order to scrape out a 6-5 win over Tennessee St. in game two. Taking a 5-3 lead into the top of the seventh, Mercer allowed the game-tying runs to come across off a Devin Amar double down the left field line.
Mercer would respond however in the bottom of the seventh after allowing the Tigers to climb back into the game in the top half of the inning. Tiffany Phillips found herself on second after a single and a throwing error by Tennessee St. to start off the inning.
As the next batter, Stukes moved Phillips over to third when she laid down a successful sacrifice bunt. Freshman Molly Garmany registered the final RBI of the game when Phillips scored on a throwing error by the Tiger's catcher.
Four Bears had multiple hits in the game including Woody, Marko, Santana and Phillips. Sarah Santana led the Bears with a double and her team-leading fifth home run of the season. Santana hit a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth.
Junior Kerri Nidiffer recorded the win in game two when she came into the game in the fifth in relief of starter Kassie Bailey. Bailey threw well in five complete innings but couldn't record the win as Mercer gave up the lead in the top of the sixth.
Mercer has a short turnaround as Alabama St. comes to Sikes Field tomorrow afternoon for a 3 p.m. doubleheader. The Bears then have a Saturday matchup with Florida A&M before opening conference play.
