Mercer University
Furman
Softball's SoCon Tournament Run, 2016 Season End With Loss To Furman
5/13/2016 10:16:00 PM | Softball
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Mercer University softball team turned heads in its run through the Southern Conference Tournament this week, but it fell short of the grand prize with a 8-1 loss to Furman on Friday night at UNCG Softball Stadium.
The loss was the Bears' second of the day, resulting in a third place SoCon Tournament finish and an end to their 2016 season.
FINAL – Furman 8, Mercer 1
HOW IT HAPPENED
Furman took charge with a 3-0 lead in the third inning as Candace Johnson and AnnaRose Borrelli hit back-to-back home runs off of Mercer starting pitcher Megan Bilgri. Johnson's shot came with a baserunner as Hannah Reynolds lead off the frame with a double. Bilgri would only last three innings, as she surrendered the trio of runs on seven hits. She was replaced by Maxine Rodriguez, marking the first pitching change by the Bears in the tournament.
In the home half of the third, Mercer threatened with a pair of hits, but was halted when Meghan Rud was thrown out while attempting to advance from first to third base on an infield single by Taylor Miller.
The following half inning, Furman tacked on another trio of runs against Rodriguez with a RBI-double, fielder's choice play and error by Shaila Warren. A two-RBI double by Sieara Bishop in the fifth plated the final runs of the ball game. Furman's Emily Demonte earned the win, tossing all seven innings.
A sacrifice fly by Kaytlin Haney in the bottom of the fourth scored Quirisa Mauga from third base for Mercer's only run. Mauga led off the inning with a double to the center field wall. The Bears picked up eight hits in the game, the third time this tournament they've had at least that many, but left four on base and couldn't string together enough momentum to match the Paladins.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Mercer had two hits apiece from Miller, Warren and Taylor Rodgers, who went a combined 6-for-8 against Demonte. Warren drew a walk as well and reached base in all three plate appearances. Miller stole a base – her SoCon-best 26th of the season.
NOTABLES
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With the loss, Furman cut Mercer's lead in the all-time series to 12-8. The two programs went 1-1 against one another in SoCon Tournament play following a three-game regular season sweep by the Paladins.
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Mercer's leadoff batter reached base with a hit in four straight innings from the second to fifth innings.
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Mercer finished the 2016 SoCon Tournament with a 2-2 record, picking up wins against Furman and Chattanooga on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. The Bears are now 8-6 in their last three postseason trips, including a 5-4 mark in two seasons of SoCon Tournament play.
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Seniors Natalie Shiver and Haney played their final games in a Mercer uniform on Friday night. Shiver played all seven innings at catcher and was 1-for-3 while Haney played all seven in right field and was 0-for-2 with the Bears' lone RBI.
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In four innings of relief, Rodriguez struck out a career-high six batters, including striking out the side in the fifth.
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Although Bilgri took two losses on Friday, the sophomore was dynamic for the Bears in postseason play. Her 26 innings pitched trail only Kirsten Stevens' 33.2 and 26.2 innings in 2015 and 2014, respectively, for the most postseason innings in a single postseason over the last six years.
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Opponents hit only .215 against Bilgri in her four SoCon Tournament starts.
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Rodgers recorded her second multi-hit game of the season with a 2-for-3 performance.
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After going hitless for the first time of the season in back-to-back games, Miller got back on track with a pair of hits on Friday night. She finished with 79 hits for the season, falling just short of becoming the first Bear to record 80 hits in multiple seasons.
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The Bears' third-place finish in the SoCon Tournament ends a streak of two straight years they've reached a league championship game.
WRAP-UP
Mercer finished the 2016 season with an overall record of 23-35 and 4-14 in SoCon regular season play. The Bears went 2-2 in the SoCon Tournament and finished third behind Samford and Furman, who will play for the league title on Saturday, May 14.
STAY SOCIAL
Follow @MercerUSoftball on Twitter and Instagram or visit the team's official Facebook page in the upcoming days for end of season tid-bits, photo galleries and glimpses ahead to the 2016 offseason.
