Mercer University
Kennesaw St.
Softball Stuns Kennesaw State with two Walk-offs
4/2/2014 12:00:00 AM | Softball
MACON, Ga. – In dramatic fashion, not once, but twice, the Mercer University softball team swept a doubleheader with Kennesaw State University vie the walk-off at Sikes Field on Wednesday.
Mercer (29-11, 11-2 Atlantic Sun) beat Kennesaw State (18-19, 7-7 A-Sun) in the first game thanks to a walk-off solo home run by junior Riley Carter in the ninth inning. Game two was even more dramatic in that the Bears trailed by as much as seven at one point only to scale the mountainous deficit and win 10-9 on a walk-off two-run double by sophomore Kaytlin Haney.
Game one saw some ridiculous pitching performances by both Kirsten Stevens (11-2) and Paige Matthews (3-9). Both pitchers went the distance with their teams and the only blemish of the entire game for wither was Carter's homer off Matthews to win it in the ninth. Pitching and defense ruled game one.
Stevens was lights out, controlling the Owls for the entirety of the game. She did not walk a person and only allowed three hits while striking out four. She threw an extremely efficient 92 pitches in the nine inning outing.
Freshman Taylor Miller did manage to record a multi-hit game as she went 2-for-3 but was stranded on base both times.
Game two was the complete opposite from game one. Lots of hitting, obviously, got the score to 10-9, and some defensive blunders that weren't seen in the first tilt. Carter (5-1) came in relief in the third and pitched the rest of the game getting the win.
After a two-run bomb by freshman Caroline Taylor in the first inning, the Bears bats went quiet until the fifth. By that time they were down 9-2 and things looked bleak. Sophomore Natalie Shiver calmed things down a bit with an RBI-single in the fifth, though, and Mercer began the slow crawl back.
Four runs crossed the dish in the sixth and life started to return to the crowd. Haney had an RBI-walk that scored junior Kaylynn Sloat to get things going. Then senior McKenzie Woody scored on a wild pitch and fellow senior Krista Kennedy followed with a two-run double. Then came the seventh.
Senior Randi Rea stepped up and delivered a lead-off double to start the inning. She then advanced to third on a fly out for out No. 1. The next batter got out pushing Mercer to the brink. With one out left to go, however, the team stepped up. Miller singled up the middle scoring Rea. Woody then singled and Miller got to third. With runners on the corners, Haney delivered the hit of the night that brought Mercer all the way back to win.
Haney went 2-for-3 in the second game with three RBIs and two runs scored. Woody and Miller joined her with two hits, Woody scoring three times and Miller scoring once and recording a RBI.
Mercer will take this momentum into the weekend as they host the favorite to win this year's conference title, USC Upstate. There will be a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 1:00 p.m. with the third game on Sunday at the same time. Sunday will also be another Softball Little League day.
For all things Mercer softball follow us on Twitter @MercerUSoftball.
