Mercer University
Florida Int''l
Bears Go 1-1 on Day; Play FIU Tomorrow
2/23/2013 12:00:00 AM | Softball
MIAMI, Fla. – The Mercer softball team will play for the tournament championship the FIU Classic on Sunday after going .500 in the first two days of the tournament. Mercer fell first to tournament host Florida International, 7-0 before posting a nice come-from-behind victory over Savannah State in game two.
The Bears (8-7) scored a game-tying run in the top of the seventh and then plated eight in the top of the eighth against Savannah State to take an 11-4 victory an will now play for the tournament championship against FIU on Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
In game one, Mercer mustered just six hits and was held scoreless for the first time this season.
GAME ONE:
Mercer junior pitcher Kristen Bretscher, fresh off her marvelous performance against Georgia Tech on Wednesday, threw a complete game, yet didn't get the needed run support from the Bears offense in assuming her first loss of the year.
The Bears were limited to just six hits and zero extra-base hits as senior Sarah Santana went 2-for-3, improving her batting average to .333. FIU starting pitcher Corinne Jenkins threw a scoreless five innings allowing just four hits and improved her season record to 3-1 with the win.
All six of the Bears hits were singles and MU ended up leaving seven on base. FIU's defense allowed the Bears to put just three runners into scoring position and the six hits tied for the second fewest hits in a game this season.
GAME TWO:
Game two was a different scenario altogether as the Bears pelted 13 hits with six of the Bears starting lineup capturing multiple hits, including freshman Ashton Holt finishing 3-for-5 with five RBI and a homerun.
Mercer jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the top of the first as Holt tallied the first of her RBI with a two-out double that scored both junior McKenzie Woody and Santana.
The Tigers clawed their way back into it and eventually took the lead in the bottom of the sixth, scoring two runs off a pair of Mercer errors.
In the top half of the seventh, Mercer tied the game up as Santana connected with a deep sacrifice fly that scored sophomore Molly Garmany from third. The teams headed into extra innings when Holt made her presence known again.
Holt's first of her career came at an opportune time and started an eight-run inning for the Bears with a two-run shot to center.
All told, the Bears scored the eight runs off seven hits in the eighth with junior Krista Kennedy tallying three RBI in the inning with a triple. Kennedy finished going 2-for-4 in the game.
The Bears return home next week with a full slate of games starting with a midweek matchup against Georgia State on Wednesday. Next weekend Mercer hosts the inaugural Mercer Bear Classic as Central Arkansas, Northern Kentucky, and UT-Chattanooga head to Sikes Field for the three-day event.
