Sunday, April 30
Macon, Ga.
1 PM ET
Mercer University
23-29, 9-9
5
vs
0
Western Carolina
15-27, 4-10
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Carolina | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Mercer | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | X | 5 | 4 | 2 |
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: O'Neill, Anna (2-2)
L: Kinsey Liscio (0-5)
Base Running:
SB: Ashlyn Long 1
HBP: Madison Armstrong 1
Batting:
HR: Rodgers, Taylor 1
RBI: Rodgers, Taylor 4 ; Castleberry, Danielle 1
SH: Rud, Meghan 1
SF: Castleberry, Danielle 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Rud, Meghan 1 ; Miller, Taylor 1 ; Rodgers, Taylor 1 ; McElderry, Jill 1 ; Castleberry, Danielle 1
CS: Andrew, Emma 1
HBP: Mauga, Quirisa 1
Game Leaders
AB
2
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
4
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
1
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
INF/OF
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballUTIL
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
Seniors Shine on Senior Day as Bears Smash Catamounts
4/30/2017 4:49:00 PM | Softball
MACON, Ga. – Mercer honored its senior class prior to Sunday's game and the seniors returned the favor in kind once play began. Senior Taylor Rodgers hit a grand slam off the top of the scoreboard and senior Anna O'Neill pitched a complete game one-hit shutout as Mercer claimed a 5-0 victory over Western Carolina at Sikes Field.
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Rodgers's grand slam – and all three runners reaching base – came with the Bears (23-29, 9-9 Southern) facing two outs in the fifth inning. A Meghan Rud single sandwiched between a pair of walks in the fifth inning allowed Rodgers to step to the plate with an opportunity to bust the game wide open. She not only did that but may have left a dent in the scoreboard.
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In the circle, O'Neill (2-2) made the most of her first start at home this season in her shutout performance. She fanned four and walked two while only allowing one hit in the game. Only once did a Catamount runner get past second base and she would get stranded on third with a pop up to end the threat for Western Carolina (15-27, 4-10) in the sixth. The Catamounts' lone hit came in the seventh inning, breaking up O'Neill's no hitter.
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Mercer would respond in the bottom half of the inning by adding one more run with a Danielle Castleberry sacrifice fly.
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The win clinched a series victory in Mercer's final home Southern Conference series of the year. The Bears did not drop a home SoCon series at Sikes Field in 2017.
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PLAYER OF THE GAME
How can you choose between the standout performances of seniors Anna O'Neill and Taylor Rodgers, especially on Senior Day? You can't and we won't. Both were so vital to Sunday's win that the duo will claim "Co-Players of the Game" honors. O'Neill tossed her first shutout of the year (and sixth of her career) while allowing only one hit, walking two and matching a season-high four strikeouts.
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Rodgers, who now has 10 RBIs in 21 at bats in conference play, was 1-for-3 at the plate with her lone hit reaching the stratosphere. That grand slam, her second home run in as many weekends, broke open a scoreless game and pitcher's duel.
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STAT OF THE GAME
Part of Anna O'Neill's effectiveness in the circle on Sunday came as she delivered a first pitch strike to 21 of the 27 batters she faced, an impressive 77.8 percent. Compared to that, Western Carolina's three pitchers delivered a first pitch strike only 44.8 percent of the time (13 of 29).
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PITCHERS OF RECORD
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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Rodgers's grand slam – and all three runners reaching base – came with the Bears (23-29, 9-9 Southern) facing two outs in the fifth inning. A Meghan Rud single sandwiched between a pair of walks in the fifth inning allowed Rodgers to step to the plate with an opportunity to bust the game wide open. She not only did that but may have left a dent in the scoreboard.
Â
In the circle, O'Neill (2-2) made the most of her first start at home this season in her shutout performance. She fanned four and walked two while only allowing one hit in the game. Only once did a Catamount runner get past second base and she would get stranded on third with a pop up to end the threat for Western Carolina (15-27, 4-10) in the sixth. The Catamounts' lone hit came in the seventh inning, breaking up O'Neill's no hitter.
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Mercer would respond in the bottom half of the inning by adding one more run with a Danielle Castleberry sacrifice fly.
Â
The win clinched a series victory in Mercer's final home Southern Conference series of the year. The Bears did not drop a home SoCon series at Sikes Field in 2017.
Â
PLAYER OF THE GAME
How can you choose between the standout performances of seniors Anna O'Neill and Taylor Rodgers, especially on Senior Day? You can't and we won't. Both were so vital to Sunday's win that the duo will claim "Co-Players of the Game" honors. O'Neill tossed her first shutout of the year (and sixth of her career) while allowing only one hit, walking two and matching a season-high four strikeouts.
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Rodgers, who now has 10 RBIs in 21 at bats in conference play, was 1-for-3 at the plate with her lone hit reaching the stratosphere. That grand slam, her second home run in as many weekends, broke open a scoreless game and pitcher's duel.
Â
STAT OF THE GAME
Part of Anna O'Neill's effectiveness in the circle on Sunday came as she delivered a first pitch strike to 21 of the 27 batters she faced, an impressive 77.8 percent. Compared to that, Western Carolina's three pitchers delivered a first pitch strike only 44.8 percent of the time (13 of 29).
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PITCHERS OF RECORD
- Win: Anna O'Neill, Mercer (2-2)
- Loss: Kinsey Liscio, Western Carolina (0-5)
- Save: None
- Mercer: 23-29 (9-9 SoCon)
- Western Carolina: 15-27 (4-10 SoCon)
- Mercer: hosts Alabama State on Wednesday, May 3 at 5 p.m.
- Western Carolina: hosts Samford in a three-game series beginning Saturday, May 6
- With the win, Mercer is now 9-4 all-time against Western Carolina. The Bears are 6-2 against the Catamounts in games played in Macon.
- The win marked the 698th victory in program history for Mercer. The Bears could register the school's 700th all-time win at the Southern Conference Tournament.
- The win marked a series win for the Orange and Black as the Bears claimed series victories in all four home Southern Conference series this year.
- Mercer finished conference play at 9-9 this season, one win shy of matching the program's most in its time in the Southern Conference.
- With her grand slam in the fifth inning, Taylor Rodgers has now hit home runs in consecutive weekends and has at least one RBI in five of her last seven games.
- Anna O'Neill recorded her first shutout of the season Sunday. It marked the sixth shutout of her career.
- Taylor Rodgers's home run in the fifth inning marked her fourth home run of the season. She had one home run prior to the 2017 campaign.
- Anna O'Neill's season ERA dropped to 2.59 after the performance. She is the third Mercer pitcher to see her season ERA drop below 3.00 this year.
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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