Mercer University
Rutgers
Softball Suffers Two Losses In FAU Invitational
3/11/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
BOCA RATON, Fla. – The Mercer University softball team was defeated twice on Friday, March 11 in Day 1 of the FAU Invitational, falling 5-4 to Rutgers and 5-1 to Long Island.
FINAL – Rutgers 5, Mercer 4
HOW IT HAPPENED
Mercer appeared to have rallied for its third straight victory with a big sixth inning at the plate, but Rutgers got the last word as it scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning for a walk-off win.
Trailing 2-1 entering the sixth inning, Mercer racked up three runs on four hits to take a 4-2 lead into the final inning and a half. Meghan Rud drew a bases-loaded walk, followed by back-to-back RBI-singles by Quirisa Mauga and Lindsay Boynton to take the 4-2 lead.
The Scarlet Knights ended the game with two RBI-doubles in the seventh inning, the game-winner coming off of Anna O'Neill, who took the loss. Jill McElderry started in the circle for Mercer, striking out four batters while surrendering two runs in three innings of work. Megan Bilgri tossed 3.1 innings in between McElderry and O'Neill.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Quirisa Mauga went 1-for-3 at the plate for Mercer, picking up an RBI-single in the sixth inning that scored the then-go-ahead run for the Bears. With the hit and RBI, Mauga now has at least one of each in three consecutive games for Mercer.
FINAL – Long Island 5, Mercer 1
HOW IT HAPPENED
Following a 10-hit performance against Rutgers, Mercer's bats were silenced against Long Island, picking up only three hits against a complete game by freshman pitcher Tallie Woodson.
The Bears jumped ahead 1-0 in the second inning when Maxine Rodriguez connected for an RBI-single, but nothing else worked at the plate over the remainder of the game. Long Island tied the game 1-1 in the top of the fifth inning before breaking the game open with a three-run sixth inning.
Anna O'Neill took the loss in the circle – her second of the day – after surrendering four runs over six innings, despite striking out four batters.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Junior Maxine Rodriguez singled home Mercer's lone run in the bottom of the second inning for her second RBI of the day. Rodriguez was 1-for-3 at the plate with the RBI and had one of the Bears' three hits against Long Island. After playing six innings at first base, Rodriguez also pitched in the seventh inning, striking out one Long Island batter.
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NOTABLES
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Mercer's 10 hits against Rutgers marked the sixth time the Bears have totaled at least 10 in a game this season. The Bears have 32 hits over their past four games, and are hitting a season average of .267.
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Following a five-game drought without an RBI, Maxine Rodriguez had two RBI-singles on Friday for Mercer. Both singles came in the second inning of each game, sparking early 1-0 leads for the Bears.
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Lindsay Boynton's RBI-single against Rutgers increased her team-high RBI count to 15. The freshman has played in 16 of Mercer's 25 games, including just nine starts, all as the designated player.
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Mercer was held without a stolen base for the first time in four games against Long Island. The Bears advanced past second base only twice against the Blackbirds, both times coming on Maxine Rodriguez's RBI-single in the second inning.
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Anna O'Neill recorded four strikeouts against Long Island, leaving her only two away from a career-high mark of 61.
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Taylor Miller's 2-for-4 performance against Rutgers marked her ninth multi-hit game of the 2016 season. She leads the Bears with a .359 batting average.
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Mercer failed to reach five runs scored in both losses on Friday. The Bears are now 0-14 when scoring less than five runs.
RECORD UPDATE
Mercer's losses to Rutgers and Long Island on Friday dropped its record to 9-16 overall through 25 games.
UP NEXT
Mercer opens Day 2 at the FAU Invitational with an early riser, facing Robert Morris at 9 a.m. before taking on No. 17 nationally-ranked Minnesota at 3:45 p.m.
STAY SOCIAL
Follow @MercerUSoftball on Twitter and Instagram or visit the team's official Facebook page for up-to-date information on the Bears' softball program.
