Mercer University
Stetson
Bears Drop Two at Stetson
4/12/2012 12:00:00 AM | Softball
DeLand, Fla. – The Mercer softball team lost a little ground in the race for the Atlantic Sun postseason as the Bears were swept in Thursday night's doubleheader at Stetson.
The Bears (24-18, 5-5 A-Sun) played a majority of both games from behind as Stetson posted big innings early. The Hatters (21-14, 6-4 A-Sun) scored six runs in each game by the end of the second inning and would ride each lead to defeat MU, 6-3 and 6-4 on Thursday.
Stetson returned the Bears' favor as Mercer swept the season series last year in Macon. The two losses have now pushed the Bears' current losing streak to three.
GAME ONE
The Bears were the first to score in both games and game one started out much like many of the Bears' games this season, with sophomore McKenzie Woody coming across first.
Woody got on base with the first of her three hits in game one by leading off with a single to third. A throwing error allowed her to reach second and she was driven in from third when Tiffany Phillips laced a two-out single two batters later.
Senior Kassie Bailey received the start in game one and after allowing four runs off four hits in the first was lifted before the start of the second inning. Bailey was replaced by Kerri Nidiffer who after allowing an initial two runs of her own settled into a nice rhythm, but by then the damage was already done.
Nidiffer gave up just three hits over the final four innings, but Mercer's bats couldn't make up for the early deficit. Sophomore Randi Rea tried to start a late rally when she led off the fifth with a solo home run to left field. Rea's home run was her second of the season and first since game two of the USC Upstate doubleheader on March 30.
Sophomore Krista Kennedy continued the fifth-inning rally as she matched Rea with a back-to-back home run of her own, bringing the score to, 6-3. As Mercer's next batter, Woody recorded her second hit of the game to sustain the Bears threat in the fifth.
Stetson, however, would come up with a game-changing defensively play as the Hatters turned a double play to clear the bases of Bears. The play effectively ended the Mercer's threat as Kassie Bailey grounded out to end the inning without pushing another run across.
Stetson's Meredith Owen took over and retired all three Mercer batters in the fifth and would hold off the Mercer charge in the final three innings to record her second save of the season.
GAME TWO
Again Mercer would strike first in game two when freshman Molly Garmany led off the second inning with a single. Garmany, who started the game at catcher, scored on the next play when senior Kristin Marko roped a RBI double to center, giving MU a 1-0 lead.
For the second game in a row, the Bears advantage was short-lived as Stetson took the lead for good in the bottom half of the second. The Hatters' big inning began innocently enough as Mercer's starting pitcher Kassie Bailey, recorded the first out by getting Chelsea Whalley to foul out to third.
A fielding error by Bailey on the next play began a downward spiral that ended with Stetson scoring six runs off five hits in the inning. Bailey allowed five earned before again being relieved by Nidiffer. Nidiffer was able to record the final two outs of the second inning and would not allow another run in the game.
Like game one, the Bears showed a bit of determination plating three runs in the sixth to bring the game within striking distance. McKenzie Woody and Tiffany Phillips led off the sixth with back-to-back singles and a walk to Kassie Bailey loaded the bases with no outs.
Molly Garmany had a clutch at bat as she hit a base-clearing three-run RBI double to right center to bring the Bears within two at 6-4. Again with no out the Bears looked poised to make a comeback. However, the Hatters again had the defensive answer, getting Mercer's next three batters to go down in order.
Meredith Owen went the distance for the Hatters in game two allowing seven hits and four earned, including escaping the jam in the sixth to end the Bears threat.
Mercer has a chance to get back above the .500 mark in A-Sun conference play with a doubleheader scheduled for this Saturday at Florida Gulf Coast. Mercer and FGCU get underway at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
