Mercer University
Stetson
Softball Advances to Atlantic Sun Championship Game
5/9/2014 12:00:00 AM | Softball
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – For the first time since 2009 the Mercer University softball team will play in the Atlantic Sun Tournament Championship game after junior Riley Carter hit a walk-off RBI-single in the 11th inning to beat Florida Gulf Coast University 2-1 at Draper Diamond at Smith Stadium on Friday.
No. 4 Mercer (37-18) lost to No. 3 Stetson (37-12) earlier in the day to set up an elimination game with No. 6 FGCU (33-26-1) who eliminated No. 1 USC Upstate in the game preceding the extra-inning madness. Stetson, with a 4-1 win over the Bears, advanced to the A-Sun Championship Game earlier on Friday.
In the game with Stetson, Mercer was held to one run on three hits by the Hatters' Meredith Owen (25-7). Entering the game with the third best ERA in the country (0.87), Owen struck out six Mercer hitters in her complete game win.
Freshman Kirsten Stevens (15-5) got the start for Mercer and pitched a solid 4.1 innings allowing four runs on six hits with four strikeouts. Fellow freshman Anna O'Neill chipped in with a great relief appearance by finishing off the final 1.2 innings allowing a single hit while striking out a batter.
Senior Krista Kennedy went 1-for-3 and had Mercer's lone RBI in the top of the first inning. Freshman Caroline Taylor, who reached base via a hit-by-pitch with two outs was the runner who scored on Kennedy's double.
After a short break, the Bears were back on the field and playing to stave off elimination and advance to the championship game against the Eagles of Florida Gulf Coast. FGCU had just eliminated USC Upstate on a 7th inning home run that put them up 8-7.
Both the Bears and Eagles were deadlocked in a pitcher's duel for a long time as the score remained 1-1 for 10 ½ innings. Stevens started again for Mercer, with O'Neill relieving her in the fifth. Senior Julia Rice (10-4) pitched the final 4.2 innings and got the win. She allowed just two base runners the entire time she pitched (two hits) and struck out two batters.
Carter finished the game 3-for-5 with that RBI. Joining her in the multi-hit category was junior Kaylynn Sloat, who had two doubles, sophomore Kaytlin Haney, who scored Mercer's first run of the game, and freshman Caroline Taylor. Sloat also had a banner day on defense as she made two bare-hand plays to gun down two potential bunt singles.
This year marks the first time in A-Sun Conference history that neither the 1 nor the 2 seed made it to the championship game. Mercer will attempt to be just the second No. 4 seed in conference history to win the tournament. The last time Mercer made the final in 2009 they lost to Campbell.
Mercer and Stetson will play at 12:00 p.m. Central time on Saturday. The Bears have to beat the Hatters twice to secure the title whereas Stetson only needs one win. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3 for those who are out of Nashville and would like to tune in.
As always, follow @MercerUSoftball on Twitter for all things Bears softball.
