Thursday, May 11
Chattanooga, Tenn.
12:30 PM ET
Mercer University
26-29
3
vs
0
UNCG
28-23
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercer | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 0 |
| UNCG | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Bilgri, Megan (13-7)
L: Alicia Bazonski (17-13)
S: Preston, Stella (9)
Batting:
2B: Lane, Megan 1
RBI: Rodgers, Taylor 1 ; Lane, Megan 1
SH: Rodgers, Taylor 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Rud, Meghan 1 ; Mauga, Quirisa 1 ; Warren, Shaila 1
SB: Rud, Meghan 1 ; Warren, Shaila 1
CS: Rud, Meghan 1
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned
P
/ SoftballC/OF
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
UTIL
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
INF
/ SoftballMercer Advances to Semifinals with Shutout of Top-Seeded Spartans
5/11/2017 3:16:00 PM | Softball
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Megan Bilgri and Stella Preston combined for a shutout and held the No. 1 seed UNCG to only two hits, both of which didn't come until the fifth inning, as Mercer shutout the Spartans in a 3-0 win to advance to the Southern Conference Tournament semifinals.
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Mercer (26-29) never trailed in the contest as the Bears scored a pair of the runs over the first two innings. UNCG (28-23) managed only one hitter to reach scoring position.
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Bilgri (13-7) has now been credited with a win in her last four starts while Preston (9) extended her national lead in saves.
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Meghan Rud, who was 2-for-4 in the game, opened the contest with a single then immediately claimed her 38th stolen base of the year as she took second. After a groundout moved her to third, Taylor Rodgers laid down a squeeze play to allow Rud to score.
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Shaila Warren added to Mercer's lead in a similar fashion with a single, stolen base and wild pitch putting her 60 feet away before an Alicia Bazonski throwing error sent her home. Bazonski (17-13) struck out only one Mercer batter in a complete game performance.
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Mercer's final run of the game came as Megan Lane drove a double off the center field wall as she plated Quirisa Mauga from first.
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The win sends Mercer to the SoCon Tournament semifinal for the third consecutive year.
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PLAYER OF THE GAME
Quirisa Mauga powered her way into this honor as she finished the game 2-for-3 with a run scored. Her bat found its way to the ball in all three plate appearances with a fielder's choice in the first inning before singling through the right side in the third. In the sixth inning, Mauga ripped a single to center and then raced home from first as Megan Lane hit a double off the centerfield wall.
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STAT OF THE GAME
Megan Bilgri faced 15 consecutive batters in the game before allowing a hit. That impressive streak lasted deep into the fifth inning and only ended when Sidney Grkman poked a single into right center. Bilgri's stretch at near perfection in that time was interrupted only by a walk in the third inning. Combined, Bilgri and Stella Preston tossed a two-hit shutout of the league's No. 1-seeded team.
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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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Mercer (26-29) never trailed in the contest as the Bears scored a pair of the runs over the first two innings. UNCG (28-23) managed only one hitter to reach scoring position.
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Bilgri (13-7) has now been credited with a win in her last four starts while Preston (9) extended her national lead in saves.
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Meghan Rud, who was 2-for-4 in the game, opened the contest with a single then immediately claimed her 38th stolen base of the year as she took second. After a groundout moved her to third, Taylor Rodgers laid down a squeeze play to allow Rud to score.
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Shaila Warren added to Mercer's lead in a similar fashion with a single, stolen base and wild pitch putting her 60 feet away before an Alicia Bazonski throwing error sent her home. Bazonski (17-13) struck out only one Mercer batter in a complete game performance.
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Mercer's final run of the game came as Megan Lane drove a double off the center field wall as she plated Quirisa Mauga from first.
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The win sends Mercer to the SoCon Tournament semifinal for the third consecutive year.
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PLAYER OF THE GAME
Quirisa Mauga powered her way into this honor as she finished the game 2-for-3 with a run scored. Her bat found its way to the ball in all three plate appearances with a fielder's choice in the first inning before singling through the right side in the third. In the sixth inning, Mauga ripped a single to center and then raced home from first as Megan Lane hit a double off the centerfield wall.
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STAT OF THE GAME
Megan Bilgri faced 15 consecutive batters in the game before allowing a hit. That impressive streak lasted deep into the fifth inning and only ended when Sidney Grkman poked a single into right center. Bilgri's stretch at near perfection in that time was interrupted only by a walk in the third inning. Combined, Bilgri and Stella Preston tossed a two-hit shutout of the league's No. 1-seeded team.
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PITCHERS OF RECORD
- Win: Megan Bilgri, Mercer (13-7)
- Loss: Alicia Bazonski, UNCG (17-13)
- Save: Stella Preston, Mercer (9)
- Mercer: 26-29 (7-7 neutral)
- UNCG: 28-23 (6-1 neutral)
- Mercer: Faces the winner of No. 3 ETSU vs. No. 7 Chattanooga in the semifinals on Friday, May 12 at Noon ET (SoCon Digital Network)
- UNCG: Faces No. 6 Western Carolina in an elimination game on Thursday, May 11 at 5:30 p.m.
- With the win, Mercer is now 7-4 all-time in Southern Conference Tournament play
- The Bears are now 6-7 all-time against the Spartans with a 2-0 mark in neutral site games. Mercer has won three of the last four meetings.
- Mercer has now reached the Southern Conference Tournament semifinals in all three seasons the program has been a member of the league.
- Stella Preston's ninth save of the year extends her national lead and gives her sole possession of the Mercer career saves record.
- Preston's ninth save of the year also gives her sole possession of second in the Southern Conference single season record book. She now only trails the 11 saves recorded by Chattanooga's Kandice Irwin in 2010.
- Megan Rud moved into fifth in Mercer's record book with her 73rd hit of the season. She entered the week ranked 21st in the nation in hits.
- Rud extended her school record with her 38th stolen base of the year.
- That stolen base for Rud marked her 90th career stolen base, moving her into a tie for second with Taylor Miller for career steals at Mercer. McKenzie Woody holds the career record with 93 stolen bases from 2011-14.
- Rud's run scored moved her into a tie for seventh in Mercer's single-season history as she scored her 43rd run of the season.
- Stella Preston dropped her opposing batting average to .200, which would set a school record if the season ended today.
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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