Mercer University
Lipscomb
Softball Swept On Senior Day
4/21/2013 12:00:00 AM | Softball
MACON, Ga. – The Mercer softball team watched a one-run lead slip away on Senior Day at Sikes Field as the Bears eventually fell, 3-1 in the series finale against Lipscomb.
The loss is the Bears' sixth straight and second-straight A-Sun series where the team has failed to claim a win. Three seniors were honored prior to the game on Sunday as Kelly Redlinger, Kerri Nidiffer and Sarah Santana all played in their final regular season A-Sun home game.
Lipscomb (27-21, 14-7 A-Sun) scored a run in the fifth and then two in the sixth to take the come-from-behind victory on Senior Day. The loss damages the Bears' (23-29, 10-14 A-Sun) postseason chances, but with one A-Sun series left, Mercer still has a shot at claiming one of the six spots in the upcoming A-Sun Championship.
Mercer alongside Jacksonville and Stetson are all separated by just one game for the sixth and final spot heading into the final weekend of regular season play.
The seniors had a big day on Sunday as Kerri Nidiffer picked up the start inside the circle and ended up throwing to fellow senior Sarah Santana. Nidiffer threw a complete game, her 12th of the season, and carried a shutout deep into the fifth inning.
Santana had given the Bears the early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first as she connected with a sacrifice fly to left to score McKenzie Woody from third. Nidiffer worked well with the lead and had given up just three hits heading into the fifth.
Much like yesterday, Lipscomb was able to generate runs late in the game, including one in the fifth off a pair of singles. The Lady Bisons Paige Neely continued her hot bat in the series with an RBI single up the middle to score the tying run.
An inning later, Lipscomb utilized a timely triple down the left field line off the bat of Bree Thurman to plate the go-ahead run a batter later when Brittany Elmore drove in Thurman with an RBI single. The Lady Bisons scored the third and final run off a well-executed double steal.
The Bears went down in order in their final at bat to end things, 3-1. Junior McKenzie Woody accounted for three of the Bears' four hits in the game as she finished going 3-for-4 at the dish.
Mercer finishes out its non-conference and home portion of its schedule this Wednesday as Savannah State heads to Sikes Field for a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m.
