Mercer University
Jacksonville St.
Mercer Captures 2015 Mercer Invitational Tournament Championship
2/8/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Macon, Ga. – The Mercer University softball team captured the 2015 Mercer Invitational Tournament Championship upending top seeded Jacksonville State. A Mercer fourth inning, seven run surge helped lift the Bears past JSU, 13-6.
Mercer 13, Jacksonville State 6
Mercer jumped out to a first inning lead, scoring two runs off a pair of Mercer RBI before adding another pair of runs on a bases loaded walk and a Caroline Taylor RBI. JSU would battle back in the bottom of the second, adding five runs to take a 5-4 lead heading into the third where they added another score off of a Mercer error.
The bats came alive for the Bears in the fourth adding seven runs on five hits and a JSU error. A Natalie Shiver three-run blast gave Mercer the momentum it needed to add four additional runs in the inning to give the Bears an 11-6 lead. Emma Andrew added a RBI single in the fifth, scoring Kaylynn Sloat.
Mercer added a run in the seventh on a JSU throwing error to push their lead to 7. Riley Carter provided a dominating performance in the circle, allowing JSU two hits through five innings. She retired the side in the bottom of the seventh as JSU batters popped up to second, flew out to left field, and struck out looking.
Mercer moved to 4-1 on the season and will travel to Auburn, Ala. to take part in the Auburn Tiger Invitational. The Bears next game will be on Thursday, Feb. 12 against the host Auburn University at 4:00 p.m.
Stay tuned to MercerBears.com for live stats and boxscores and be sure to follow Mercer softball on social media (Twitter / Facebook / Instagram) to keep up with all things Mercer Softball.
Mercer Invitational All-Tournament Team
Emily Olszewski – IPFW
Taylor Lawson – Valparaiso
Stephanie Moreno – Valparaiso
Cadi Oliver – Jacksonville State
Sara Borders – Jacksonville State
Whitney Gillespie – Jacksonville State
Natalie Shiver – Mercer
Riley Carter – Mercer
Kirsten Stevens – Mercer
Kaytlynn Sloat – Mercer
Tournament MVP
Riley Carter - Mercer
