Mercer University
Savannah St.
Mercer Downs Savannah State on Military Appreciation Day
3/21/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
MACON, Ga. – The Mercer University softball team caps off the week with two wins on Military Appreciation Day at Sikes field. The Bears defeated Savannah State in double-header action, 5-3 in the first game and 7-2 in the second. Mercer has extended its longest win streak of the season to nine games and improves to 24-13 on the year.
Final – Mercer 5, Savannah St. 3
The Bears worked their selves into trouble in the first inning recording two errors to load the bases. Kirsten Stevens would battle back, recording six strikeouts in a row to keep the Tigers scoreless through the first two innings.
Mercer would get on the board first in the bottom of the second. Rachael Hugghins drove in two runs on a line drive to left center. Taylor Miller would bring in R. Hugghins to pick up her lone RBI of the game and give the Bears a 3-0 lead heading into the third. Savannah State wouldn't go away, scoring on a two run blast to left center, making the score 3-2. Mercer added a pair of runs in the bottom of the third on two Tiger errors to extend the lead to 5-2.
After a scoreless fourth Savannah State added a run on a RBI single to make it a two run ballgame. The Bears and Tigers would go scoreless through the last two innings to end the game with a 5-3 Mercer victory. Stevens picked up her 15th win on her 15th complete game of the season. She also threw a carrier high 11 strikeouts with no base on balls.
Final – Mercer 7, Savannah St. 2
The Tigers and Bears exchanged runs in the first inning of game two. Savannah State got on the board first with a RBI single. Meghan Rud scored the first run of the game for the Bears in unique fashion. Rud reached on a single to left field but advanced around the base path on an error by the left fielder for an inside the park home run.
After two scoreless innings the Bears got back on the board in the bottom of the fourth. Riley Carter drove in two runs on a line drive to right center field to extend the Mercer lead to 3-1. The Tigers would close the gap in the sixth adding one run two hits to make the score 3-2.
The Bears got the bats going in the bottom of the sixth adding four runs on five hits. Carter got the inning rolling with her second RBI double of the game. Shiver followed Carter with a two RBI single through the right side. The inning was capped off with a RBI single by R. Hugghins to give the Bears a 7-2 lead heading into the top of the seventh inning.
Megan Bilgri picked up her third win of the season in her second complete game. She recorded six strikeouts without sacrificing a base-on-balls, while allowing only four hits and two runs.
The Bears will be back in action next weekend, when Mercer opens up Southern Conference play against Western Carolina. The weekend will be the first time Mercer competes in a SoCon game since officially joining the conference in July.
