Mercer University
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North Fla.
Kennedy, Woody Set Single Season Marks In Loss at North Florida
4/14/2013 12:00:00 AM | Softball
MACON, Ga. – A pair of Mercer softball players broke individual season records on Sunday, yet the milestones were somewhat overshadowed when a two-run rally in the top of the seventh fell just short as the Mercer softball team dropped its third game of the weekend, 5-4 at North Florida.
Juniors McKenzie Woody and Krista Kennedy each set Mercer single season records in two different categories on Sunday as Woody eclipsed her personal single season hit record of 73 with a pair of hits and Kennedy broke a ten-year mark with three RBI to give her the most ever in a season with 56. The previous record of 55 was set back in 2003 by Stacy Nagel.
Unfortunately, as a team the Bears couldn't make up for five-run deficit as a valiant effort to score two in the fifth and two in the seventh came up just shy, losing their second one-run game in as many days. Mercer falls to 23-26 overall and is now 10-11 in A-Sun play. North Florida came up with the plays it needed to capture the sweep and improve to 33-11 and 11-4 in conference.
Mercer's Julia Rice picked up the start and quickly worked herself into a bit of jam in the first inning. Rice walked and allowed a double to UNF's first two batters and then an RBI single and a sacrifice fly accounted for two Ospreys runs and the early lead.
Rice would last just the one inning as senior Kerri Nidiffer came in to pitch the final five for the Bears. Nidiffer threw two scoreless innings before UNF would extend its lead in the fourth. The Ospreys loaded the bases with one out before Nidiffer struck out a pinch-hitting Lauren Pollack to get two down in the inning. UNF's next batter, however would make Nidiffer pay as Danica Mandarano laced a bases-clearing double to center to give the Ospreys a 5-0 lead.
In the Bears next half of the inning, Kennedy began the Bears comeback by hitting her second homerun of the series. With a runner on first, Kennedy tagged a two-run homerun to left for her 13th homer of the year. She finished the day going two-for-three with three RBI and was six-for-10 on the weekend with two homeruns and six RBI.
Nidiffer kept the Bears in the game by shutting down the Ospreys bats in the fifth and sixth, leaving it up to the offense to produce in their final at bat. A pair of singles led off the seventh for the Bears and after Sarah Santana struck out, Kennedy recorded her third RBI of the game off a single to center.
Ashton Holt scored the second run of the inning off an RBI groundout to second, which also put Kennedy into scoring position with two away. Junior Randi Rea had a shot to tie things up as the Bears next batter, but she ended up lining out to short to end the game.
The Bears have two A-Sun series left to make a final run at capturing a spot in the postseason tournament. Mercer hosts Lipscomb at Sikes Field for a three-game set beginning with a doubleheader next Saturday.
