Mercer University
IUPUI
Softball Takes Two on Final Day of Mercer Invitational
2/10/2013 12:00:00 AM | Softball
MACON, Ga. – The Mercer Softball Invitational wrapped up on Sunday and with it the first weekend of the spring 2013 season. The Bears took home bragging rights in the tournament with a pair of wins and improved to 5-1 on the year.
Mercer and IUPUI faced off in what amounted to the championship game in game one of Sunday. The Bears got a little payback after falling to the Jaguars yesterday by taking down IUPUI 3-1 in game one. Mercer and Alabama State closed out the tournament with the Bears taking a 9-0 shutout over the Hornets in five innings.
The Bears pitching staff looked solid on the final day of the tournament allowing just one run between the two games. Both Kerri Nidiffer and Julia Rice each earned victories on the day.
Sophomore Molly Garmany led a four-some of Mercer players named to the All-Tournament Team. Garmany was named Tournament MVP after she belted her fourth homerun of the tournament against Alabama State on Sunday. She finished the weekend with four homeruns, 10 RBI and a double before it was all said and done.
GAME ONE:
Both Mercer and IUPUI walked into game one on Sunday with a 3-1 tournament record. The Bears however, were the first to strike in the game tallying a run as sophomore transfer Rachel Hugghins lined a double to left field scoring her sister Victoria from first.
Mercer senior pitcher Kerri Nidiffer received the start in the game and threw three scoreless innings to start before allowing the game-tying run in the top of the fourth as IUPUI's Alicia Brewer drove in Jessica Lam from third with an RBI single.
Brewer's RBI would be the lone run IUPUI would get off Nidiffer as the senior from Marietta threw her second complete game of the year, posting three strikeouts while allowing just six hits and zero earned runs.
Mercer scored the go-ahead runs in the bottom of the sixth as head coach James DeFeo made what turned out to be a smart lineup change. Freshman Ashton Holt came into pinch hit for fellow freshman Natalie Shiver and promptly hit her first career homerun to give the Bears the 2-1 lead.
The Bears added an insurance run in the innings as junior McKenzie Woody laced her second hit of the game and drove in junior Randi Rea with an RBI single up the middle. Mercer improved to 4-1 with the win.
GAME TWO:
Game two saw the Bears offense come alive, eventually run-ruling the Hornets, 9-0 in five innings. Junior third baseman Randi Rea punctuated the Bears tournament play as she connected for her second homerun of the year that effectively ended the game.
With two on and one out, Rea took a Destyni Valencia offering deep to the right center for a three-run shot that gave the Bears the needed runs to call the game early. Rea finished the weekend leading the team with 11 hits, 2 homeruns, a triple, two doubles, nine runs scored and four RBI.
Junior pitcher Julia Rice started inside the circle in game two and threw four scoreless innings before Nidiffer came in to close out the game.
The Bears return to action this Wednesday as Savannah State heads to Sikes Field for a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m.
ALLTOURNAMENT TEAM
1) Molly Garmany – Mercer (Tournament MVP)
2) Randi Rea – Mercer
3) McKenzie Woody – Mercer
4) Kerri Nidiffer – Mercer
5) Jessica Lam – IUPUI
6) Lindsey Richards – IUPUI
7) Jocelyn Oppenhuis – IUPUI
8) Meagan Dixon – Alabama State
9) Brehanna Rodrigues – Alabama State
