Softball to Face Top Seeded USC Upstate in Atlantic Sun Tournament Thursday
5/7/2014 12:00:00 AM | Softball
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – After winning their first round game, the Mercer University softball team will take on the top seed in the Atlantic Sun Tournament, the USC Upstate Spartans, at Draper Diamond at Smith Stadium on Thursday.
No. 4 Mercer (35-17, 16-9 A-Sun) faced No. 1 USC Upstate (44-5, 22-2 A-Sun) twice during the regular season with the Spartans winning both times. This is the first time in program history that Upstate is the top seed in the conference tournament.
The Bears lost a close game to the Spartans in the first match-up as the final score was 3-2. USC Upstate then won the second game 8-0. Mercer did have 15 hits in the two games, but only one of them was an extra-base hit. Couple that together with just one walk and one hit-by-pitch and you see why the Bears managed only two runs in the series.
USC Upstate also boasts a team full of award winners as they took home Player of the Year, Pitcher of the Year, Freshman of the Year, and Coach of the Year to go along with numerous first and second team honors. According to Atlantic Sun softball contact Olivia Walter, though, the team with the Player of the Year has won the Atlantic Sun Tournament exactly five times in the last 15 years.
Mercer will welcome a repeat performance at the plate from two of its seniors. Krista Kennedy got a hit in both her at-bats and notched RBIs with each hit. She laced a two-run double in the first inning against Kennesaw State and then launched a solo home run in the fifth. McKenzie Woody also had a hit and scored twice with a walk, as well. Woody's glove was a big factor in the game against the Owls as she made a handful of unbelievable plays in centerfield.
Game time is slated for 12:30 p.m. central time (1:30 p.m. eastern) which will be the second of four games on Thursday. No. 3 Stetson and No. 2 Lipscomb will play in the first game.
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