Mercer University
Western Caro.
Mercer Uses Sixth Inning Rally to Down the Catamounts 3-1
3/29/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
MACON, Ga. – The Mercer University softball team moved to 2-1 in Southern Conference play after defeating Western Carolina 3-1 on Sunday. With the win the Bears move to 26-14 on the season, given them the SoCon's second best record.
Final – Mercer 3, Western Carolina 1
Similarly to game one on Saturday, Mercer's Kirsten Stevens and Western Carolina's Jordan Garrett were locked in a pitching duel for the majority of the game. Stevens would allow eight hits through seven innings, recording one run with seven strikeouts and no base-on-balls en route to her seventeenth win of the season.
The Bears and Catamounts would stay scoreless through the first four innings until Western Carolina would break the ice in the top of the fifth, scoring on a RBI double to right center giving them a 1-0 lead heading into the sixth.
Mercer's bats came to life in the sixth as the Catamounts made a pitching change to start the inning. The Bears would score three runs on four hits, with help from three Catamount errors to take the 3-1 lead.
Taylor Rogers would pick up the first RBI for the Bears with a slap hit through the middle to score Natalie Shiver. Caroline Taylor would also score on the play aided by a fielding error. Quirisa Mauga would set up the final score of the game with a single, advancing Rogers to third. Kaytlin Haney would drive Rogers in with a single through the right side to give the Bears the 3-1 advantage.
Stevens would close out her seventeenth complete game of the 2015 campaign, retiring the Catamount side in order to pick up the win. Mercer would finish the game with three runs on seven hits and one error.
Mercer will continue SoCon play next weekend, as the Bears travel to Greenville, South Carolina to take on the Furman Paladins. Mercer will play two games on Friday, beginning at 1:00 p.m. EST. and one game on Saturday. That game will also begin at 1:00 p.m. EST.
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.
