Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Bilgri, Megan (10-7)
L: Courtney Buchanan (6-8)
S: Preston, Stella (6)
Batting:
RBI: Cheyenne Mathews 1
SF: Cheyenne Mathews 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Courtney Price 1

Batting:
2B: Mauga, Quirisa 1
HR: Taylor, Caroline 1
RBI: Mauga, Quirisa 2 ; Taylor, Caroline 2
SH: Rud, Meghan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Miller, Taylor 1 ; Lane, Megan 1 ; Mauga, Quirisa 1 ; Taylor, Caroline 1
SB: Miller, Taylor 1
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned

Mercer Powers Past Western Carolina in Series Opener
4/29/2017 3:34:00 PM | Softball
MACON, Ga. – Quirisa Mauga drove in two runs and Caroline Taylor smashed her fifth home run of the season as Mercer powered past Western Carolina, 4-1, in the series opener Saturday afternoon at Sikes Field.
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Stella Preston (6) tied the national lead with her sixth save of the season after pitching three innings of shutout ball. Megan Bilgri (10-7) was credited with the win after allowing only one run on four hits.
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Mauga's single in the first inning drove in the first run of the game then her double in the third scored another right before Taylor sent a shot over the left field wall for a two-run home run. Mercer (22-28, 8-8 Southern) never trailed in the game.
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Western Carolina (14-26, 3-9) scored on a sacrifice fly by Cheyenne Mathews in the fifth but never managed to put a runner in scoring position after that. Courtney Buchanan (6-8) pitched a complete game for the Catamounts, allowing four runs on seven hits while walking three and striking out three.
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PLAYER OF THE GAME
Caroline Taylor gets the nod as she hit her 30th home run of her career. The shot to left in the third inning put the game fully out of reach for Western Carolina as the Bears began their four-game home stand with a win. Taylor was 2-for-2 at the plate with two RBIs, a walk and a run scored.
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STAT OF THE GAME
Six. Stella Preston entered the game in the fifth inning and shut down the Catamounts to earn her sixth save of the season. As of the game's conclusion, that ties for the national lead while extending her single season school record.
PITCHERS OF RECORD
Mercer: 22-28 (8-8 SoCon)
Western Carolina: 14-16 (3-9 SoCon)
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NOTABLES
For complete coverage of Mercer Softball, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerUSoftball (Twitter), /MercerSoftball (Facebook) and @MercerUSoftball (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.
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Stella Preston (6) tied the national lead with her sixth save of the season after pitching three innings of shutout ball. Megan Bilgri (10-7) was credited with the win after allowing only one run on four hits.
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Mauga's single in the first inning drove in the first run of the game then her double in the third scored another right before Taylor sent a shot over the left field wall for a two-run home run. Mercer (22-28, 8-8 Southern) never trailed in the game.
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Western Carolina (14-26, 3-9) scored on a sacrifice fly by Cheyenne Mathews in the fifth but never managed to put a runner in scoring position after that. Courtney Buchanan (6-8) pitched a complete game for the Catamounts, allowing four runs on seven hits while walking three and striking out three.
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PLAYER OF THE GAME
Caroline Taylor gets the nod as she hit her 30th home run of her career. The shot to left in the third inning put the game fully out of reach for Western Carolina as the Bears began their four-game home stand with a win. Taylor was 2-for-2 at the plate with two RBIs, a walk and a run scored.
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STAT OF THE GAME
Six. Stella Preston entered the game in the fifth inning and shut down the Catamounts to earn her sixth save of the season. As of the game's conclusion, that ties for the national lead while extending her single season school record.
PITCHERS OF RECORD
- Win: Megan Bilgri, Mercer (10-7)
- Loss: Courtney Buchanan, Western Carolina (6-8)
- Save: Stella Preston, Mercer (6)
Mercer: 22-28 (8-8 SoCon)
Western Carolina: 14-16 (3-9 SoCon)
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NOTABLES
- Mercer now leads the all-time series, 8-3. The Bears have a 5-1 advantage in games played in Macon.
- Caroline Taylor's home run marked her 30th blast of her career. She ranks fourth all-time at Mercer in career home runs. She needs only eight to catch Meghan Clark (2003-05) for third place.
- Taylor also now has 105 career RBIs, ranking sixth all-time at Mercer. She needs only three to tie Nikki Bowey (2000-03) for fifth.
- Taylor Miller swiped her 90th career stolen base in the game. That ranks second all-time at Mercer.
- Quirisa Mauga now has 39 RBIs on the year, leading the Southern Conference.
For complete coverage of Mercer Softball, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerUSoftball (Twitter), /MercerSoftball (Facebook) and @MercerUSoftball (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.
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