Mercer University
East Tenn. St.
Taylor Powers Softball to Series Win at East Tennessee State
3/9/2014 12:00:00 AM | Softball
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – Tied at five apiece in the eighth inning, freshman Caroline Taylor launched a lead-off, go-ahead home run to propel the Mercer softball team to a series victory over conference opponent East Tennessee State at Betty Basler Field Sunday.
Mercer (17-7, 2-1 Atlantic Sun) would score three more runs after Taylor's homer in the top half of the eighth to beat ETSU (10-8, 1-2 A-Sun) by a score of 9-5.
Taylor had a double to go along with the home run and knocked in two more runs. Junior Molly Garmany pitched in with a nice day at the plate, as well, as she went 3-4 with a run scored and a run knocked in.
"After a tough second game I like how we fought back to take the series," head coach James DeFeo said. "It was a total team effort."
Senior Julia Rice (4-1) earned the win after throwing four scoreless innings in relief of freshman Kirsten Stevens.
Both senior McKenzie Woody and freshman Taylor Miller scored two runs, apiece, while sophomore Kaytlin Haney pitched in with a multi-hit game, a run scored, and an RBI.
After Taylor hit the go ahead home run to begin the eighth frame, Garmany followed with a single and advanced to second when junior Kaylynn Sloat reached base via an error by the shortstop. Junior Victoria Hugghins then stepped in for a pinch-hit appearance and slapped an RBI-single through the right side that scored Garmany. Sloat then scored on a groundout by Woody and Miller, who came back in to run for Hugghins, scored on a fielding error off a Haney ground ball. Rice then finished the game with a quiet bottom half of the eighth.
After seeing only an inning of work, junior Riley Carter left the game with an injury. Stevens replaced her in the circle and battled through a tough day. ETSU managed to score their five runs off of her, but she escaped with a no decision due to the bats executing in the fifth inning.
Coming into the top of the fifth, Mercer trailed 5-2. Woody led-off the inning with a walk, and then Haney singled to put runners on first and second. Two straight outs made the rally look almost gone, until Taylor stepped up and clubbed a double to left-center field that plated Woody and Haney. After freshman Anna Cizek came in to pinch run for Taylor, Garmany hit a single that scored Cizek to tie the game.
Mercer will be back in action Wednesday as they travel to Gainesville, Fla. to take on the Gators for a midweek doubleheader. The first game is slated to begin at 4:00 p.m.
