Mercer University
East Tenn. St.
Bears Sweep ETSU In Crucial Road Test
3/31/2012 12:00:00 AM | Softball
BOX SCORE - Game One: Mercer wins, 4-3
BOX SCORE - Game Two: Mercer wins, 3-2
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – The Mercer softball team picked up a pair of crucial one-run victories in Saturday's Atlantic Sun doubleheader at East Tennessee State. The 4-3 and 3-2 wins move the Bears to 3-1 after the first weekend of conference play and has MU tied atop of the current A-Sun standings.
MU is now 7-3 in one-run games this season as ETSU falls to 0-4 in the A-Sun and 10-20 overall. The Bears (22-14, 3-1 A-Sun) are also now winners of 10 of their last 11 games, and after watching their seven-game winning streak fall on Friday, are now back on track with a three-game streak.
Freshman pitcher Jessica Holsinger picked up her 11th win of the season in game one and then tallied her first save of her career in game two. Senior Kassie Bailey threw six innings and allowed two runs in game two, but was the eventual winner and moves to 7-5 on the year.
Mercer was outhit in each game (8-5 in game one, 10-7 in game two) but did find the necessary firepower to come up with clutch at bats late in each game to secure the wins. The Bears scored the game-winning runs in the fifth in game one and then broke up a 2-2 tie in game two by posting a the game-winner in the top of the seventh.
GAME ONE
Taking advantage of Mercer freshman pitcher Jessica Holsinger's late night on Friday, the Lady Bucs were able to jump out a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first on Saturday. Holsinger threw in last night's lengthy rain-delayed second game at Upstate and was tagged for three hits, including two doubles in the first which led to the three ETSU runs.
MU would get one run back in the next half inning as senior shortstop Sara Stukes slugged her fifth home run of the season – a solo shot to left.
After the tough first inning, Holsinger settled into a good rhythm and although she allowed eight hits and struck out just three batters, she proved to be effective at recording the decisive outs. Holsinger forced ETSU into stranding seven runners on base in the game and after the first inning allowed just two base runners to reach scoring position.
With the Bears trailing 3-1 heading into the fifth, it was going to be up to the offense to get the Bears back into the game. A lead-off single by senior Caitlyn Peisel began the Bears big inning and comeback. Four batters later, senior Kristin Marko laced a one-out RBI double to left center to score Peisel and bring Mercer to within one, 3-2.
Sophomore centerfielder McKenzie Woody and Marko would score the tying and game-winning runs off unearned situation on a passed ball and an ETSU fielding error respectively. All told, the Bears scored three times in the firth to capture a 4-3 lead off three hits and an error.
Mercer would threaten again in the sixth before watching Holsinger register her 10th complete game of the season.
GAME TWO
For the 17th time this season, the Bears were able to score in the first inning and for the 11th time it led to a victory. However, it took a Mercer score in the seventh inning to break a tie to secure the Bears sweep of the Buccaneers.
Like so many times this season, it all starts with McKenzie Woody's ability to get on base. The sophomore from Fayatteville, walked as the game's first batter and then motored home for the game's first score off a Kassie Bailey RBI double to left center. Bailey, herself would come around to score to give the Bears the early 2-0 lead at the end of one.
Bailey, who has solidified herself as the No. 2 starter behind Holsinger, allowed the Buccaneers first run to come across in the bottom of the second when Marlina Delisa hit an RBI single as the third consecutive hit to start the inning.
Yet, over the next three innings, Bailey held ETSU scoreless while displaying a bend but don't break mentality. The Lady Bucs gouged Bailey for 10 hits in the game, but most were harmless base hits as only two went for extra bases. ETSU however finally got to Bailey in the sixth when Delisa tallied her second RBI of the game.
Delisa scored a pinch-running Sade Johnson who tied up the game at two with one inning to play.
Faced with the possibility of the team's fifth extra-inning game of the year, the Bears were able to scrape out the win thank to some old fashioned, smart softball. Freshman Molly Garmany represented the game-winning run when she pinch hit for sophomore Randi Rea with one out in the seventh.
Garmany laced a single to center and then Rea re-entered the game to pinch run for Garmany and was moved into scoring position when Woody laid down a well-executed sacrifice bunt. The Bears next batter was the veteran Kristin Marko.
Marko, a senior came to plate and promptly took the first offering of the at bat to center and scored Rea from second. The clutch hit was Marko's second RBI of the day and 24th of the season.
However, it was far from over as ETSU made things overly interesting for Mercer's sake in their half of the inning. Mercer's one-run lead looked poised for ruin as the Lady Bucs advanced runners to second and third off Bailey to begin the inning.
Bailey was swiftly pulled with no one out and runners in scoring position. Holsinger made her second appearance of the day, this time with a save opportunity at hand. After getting Alex Everett to foul out, Holsinger walked the next batter to load the load the bases with one out.
Refocused, Holsinger battled to secure the game's final two outs earning a strikeout and causing Sam Lower to pop out to end the game.
The Bears return home next weekend to host A-Sun foes Jacksonville and North Florida on Friday and Saturday respectively. The Bears welcome in the Dolphins next Friday for a 4 p.m. start while North Florida invades Sikes Field on Saturday at 1 p.m.
