Mercer University
Furman
Softball Drops A Pair Against Furman At Home
4/30/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
MACON, Ga. – The Mercer University softball team was defeated twice by Furman, 2-1 and 3-0, in a Southern Conference twin bill on Saturday, April 30 at Sikes Field. Game one featured a weather delay that pushed play back more than two hours.
FINAL – Furman 2, Mercer 1
HOW IT HAPPENED
Mercer starting pitcher Megan Bilgri tossed her second straight complete game and held the Paladins to only two runs on six hits, but the Bears failed to add a notch in the win column in a series opener that featured a two-hour weather delay. Mercer tacked on six hits as well but left five runners on base, including two in a costly sixth inning.
Trailing 2-1, senior Natalie Shiver and sophomore Quirisa Mauga had back-to-back singles and advanced to second and third bases on a passed ball, but Mercer couldn't get the equalizer across home plate. The Bears' lone run came in the bottom of the fifth when junior Maxine Rodriguez dropped a single into right field and scored junior Taylor Rodgers from second base. Rodgers led off the frame with a double off of the center field wall in a pinch-hit opportunity.
The Paladins struck first as their No. 1-3 hitters all reached base against Bilgri in the opening frame. They added a solo home run in the top of the fourth by Elise Smith. Lindsey Bert (17-15) earned the win for Furman with a seven-inning performance.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Bilgri was effective in the circle despite taking the loss and dropping to 6-5, tossing her second complete game in as many appearances. She scattered six hits and allowed only two runs – one of which came on a solo home run – while striking out a pair of Paladins.
FINAL – Furman 3, Mercer 0
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Bears' hitting woes continued into game two, picking up only five hits and failing to score a run as Furman claimed the series win and moved to two games over .500 overall. Bilgri started in the circle for the second straight game and tossed four innings while surrendering two runs on five hits. She took the loss and dropped to 6-6 on the year.
Furman plated one run in the first inning, which was sparked by a leadoff double by Candace Johnson. A pair of solo home runs in the third and seventh innings gave Furman the eventual 3-0 win.
Mercer had hits from five different players, but left seven runners on base and couldn't get any momentum going. The Bears' best threat came in the bottom of the fifth, trailing 2-0, when freshman Lindsay Boynton drew a walk and sophomore Meghan Rud singled to left field. The possible run opportunity was eliminated though, as Miller was robbed by a diving catch in foul territory.
Sophomore Jill McElderry threw three innings of relief behind Bilgri, allowing only the solo home run by Johnson in the seventh while striking out two Paladins.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
The pitching duo of Bilgri and McElderry was effective in game two, holding Furman to only three runs on seven hits, two of which were solo home runs.
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NOTABLES
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Despite dropping Saturday's two games, Mercer still leads the all-time series against Furman 11-6 and is 5-3 under head coach James DeFeo against the Paladins.
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With her pinch-hit double in the fifth inning of game one, Rodgers is now batting .421 (8-for-19) in pinch-hit opportunities this season. She's also batting .324 overall this season after going 1-for-3 in game two, where she started as the designated player.
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Miller extended her season-best hitting streak to 12 games with hits in both games Saturday.
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Miller is only three hits away from reaching 200 for her career. She'd be the fourth Bear all-time to reach the milestone.
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Bilgri's back-to-back starts in a doubleheader are the first time a Mercer player has done so this season. She tossed 11 total innings and surrendered 11 hits, but only four runs.
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Three hits by Shiver on Saturday – including a pair in game one – raises her season batting average to .333 entering Sunday's series finale.
RECORD UPDATE
The Orange and Black are now 20-30 overall and 3-11 in SoCon play. It's their first 30-loss season since 2010, when they went 25-30.
UP NEXT
The Bears will look to avoid the series sweep in tomorrow's series finale at 1 p.m. at Sikes Field. Mercer's two seniors, Kaytlin Haney and Natalie Shiver, will be honored prior to the first pitch as a part of Senior Day. The duo has started a combined 348 games in the four-year careers at Mercer.
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.
