Mercer University
East Tennessee State
Softball Splits With ETSU, Seeks Series Win Sunday
4/16/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
MACON, Ga. – The Mercer University softball team bounced back from a 7-2 loss in the series opener to win game two, 8-0, and split Saturday's Southern Conference doubleheader against East Tennessee State at Sikes Field.
FINAL – ETSU 7, Mercer 2
HOW IT HAPPENED
ETSU (13-13, 4-3 SoCon) scored five runs on five hits, including a three-run home run, in the top of the seventh inning to break a 2-2 tie and take the series opener against Mercer (18-25, 1-6 SoCon). Junior right-hander Jill McElderry (4-8) took the loss in relief despite only one of her five runs allowed being earned.
ETSU took an early 2-0 lead in the third on a pair of solo home runs by Danielle Knoetze and Kelsey Smith off of Mercer starting pitcher Maxine Rodriguez. Mercer responded with one run in the bottom half as freshman Shaila Warren scored from second base on an error following a single by junior Taylor Miller.
The Bears then tied it up in the sixth on Miller's third hit of the game, a single down the right field line, which scored Warren from second base. Warren had reached earlier in the inning on a single up the middle.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Warren scored both of the Bears' runs to accompany a 2-for-3 performance at the plate, which raised her season batting average to .293 in the process. It was the fourth time the freshman has scored two runs in a game this season and was also her seventh multi-hit performance.
FINAL – Mercer 8, ETSU 0 (5 innings)
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Bears responded to the series-opening loss with all cylinders firing, as they run-ruled the Bucs (13-14, 4-4 SoCon) in five innings behind a pair of home runs and stout pitching from sophomore right-hander Megan Bilgri.
Mercer (19-25, 2-6 SoCon) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning as Rodriguez laced a two-RBI double to right center field for her fourth multi-RBI game of the season. A three-run shot by senior Natalie Shiver, her sixth of the season, highlighted a four-run third inning that gave the Bears a comfortable 6-0 lead. Warren capped the dominate win with a two-run long ball in the bottom of the fifth to seal the 8-run victory.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Bilgri (5-3) faced only 18 batters through a full five innings of two-hit work in the circle and earned her fifth win, tying her career-high from 2015. She struck out three batters for the third time this season while only surrendering one walk. The sophomore's performance was only the third time this season the Bucs have been held to three hits or less.
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MERCER STAT OF THE DAY
With her win in game two, Bilgri has been the winning pitcher in three of Mercer's six run-rule shortened victories this season. The sophomore additionally tossed two five-inning complete games against Florida A&M and Massachusetts on March 9 and 13, respectively.
NOTABLES
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Head coach James DeFeo tied predecessor Mike Raynor for second place on the Mercer softball all-time wins list with 143 victories following Saturday's game two victory. DeFeo is 143-123 overall in his fifth season at the helm for the Bears.
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Mercer has outscored its opponents 43-7 in Bilgri's five wins this season following the 8-0 victory in game two.
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Warren scored multiple runs in back-to-back games for the first time in her career while tying her career-high of three RBIs in game two. The freshman is hitting .299 with 35 hits through 44 games.
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Miller had hits in both games Saturday, extending her current hitting streak to six games. She owns a team-best nine game hitting streak from earlier this season.
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Miller's 3-for-3 performance in game one marked her 20th multi-hit game of the season and sixth with at least three hits. She also stole her SoCon-best 21st base in the game one loss as well.
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Shiver's 40th hit of the season was also her sixth long ball, tying freshman Lindsay Boynton for the team lead. She's hitting .325 and has at least one hit in four of her last six games.
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Junior Taylor Rodgers made her third start of the season in game two as the designated player. She was 0-for-2 at the plate.
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Mercer's 19 wins have come when scoring five or more runs. When the Bears score at least six runs, they boast a 13-2 record as well.
RECORD UPDATE
Mercer is now 19-25 overall and 2-6 in the SoCon while remaining in seventh place in the league standings. The twin bill split leaves Mercer with a 17-9 all-time record against ETSU heading into Sunday's series finale.
UP NEXT
Mercer and ETSU square up for the rubber match at 1 p.m. on Sunday, April 17 at Sikes Field. The Bears are seeking their first SoCon series win of the 2016 season.
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.
