Softball to Host Black & Orange Challenge

MACON, Ga. – Mercer Softball will play host to four teams this weekend at the annual Black & Orange Challenge, featuring 12 games at Sikes Field. The tournament will commence on Friday, concluding with a doubleheader on Sunday.

The Bears will kick off their action of the tournament on Friday with a doubleheader against Drexel (2:30 p.m.) and Akron (5 p.m.). Mercer will then face Eastern Kentucky (2 p.m.) and Radford (4:15 p.m.) in a doubleheader on Saturday. The Bears will conclude the tournament with a 1:15 p.m. showdown against Eastern Kentucky on Sunday.

The Bears finished 4-1 in the Black & Orange Challenge last season, earning wins against Marist, Fort Wayne and Savannah State.

TOURNAMENT OUTLOOK
Date: Friday, Feb. 23 – Sunday, Feb. 25
Location: Macon, Ga. | Sikes Field
Teams: Mercer (8-2), Akron (1-8), Drexel (0-0), Eastern Kentucky (5-3), Radford (6-3)
Admission: FREE!!
Live Stats: mercerbears.com/livestats
Twitter Updates: @MercerUSoftball

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
DATE                                     TIME                      TEAMS (HOME UNDERLINED)
Friday, Feb. 23                   10 a.m.                 Radford vs. Eastern Kentucky
Friday, Feb. 23                   12:15 p.m.          Eastern Kentucky vs. Drexel
Friday, Feb. 23                   2:30 p.m.             Mercer vs. Drexel
Friday, Feb. 23                   5 p.m.                   Mercer vs. Akron
Friday, Feb. 23                   7:15 p.m.             Akron vs. Radford
Saturday, Feb. 24              9:30 a.m.             Radford vs. Drexel
Saturday, Feb. 24              11:45 a.m.           Drexel vs. Akron
Saturday, Feb. 24             2 p.m.                   Mercer vs. Eastern Kentucky
Saturday, Feb. 24             4:15 p.m.             Mercer vs. Radford
Saturday, Feb. 24              6:30 p.m.             Eastern Kentucky vs. Akron
Sunday, Feb. 25                 11 a.m.                 Akron vs. Drexel
Sunday, Feb. 25                                1:15 p.m.             Mercer vs. Eastern Kentucky

EN FUEGO!!
Caroline Taylor rolled through Wednesday's doubleheader against Florida A&M, finishing the day 3-for-5 at the dish with two homeruns, seven RBIs and two base on balls. Taylor set a career-high seven RBIs in game two of Wednesday's doubleheader, while also blasting two long balls for the second time in her career.

Home Sweet Home
The Bears are 4-0 in contests played at Sikes Field this season, opening the campaign with the Mercer Invitational on Feb. 9-11. The Bears defeated Buffalo, Appalachian State and Central Michigan in the opening tournament. Mercer is 70-36 at Sikes Field under the guidance of current head coach Stephanie DeFeo.

Zip Through Akron
Akron enters the week with a 1-8 overall record, earning a 1-0 win against Fort Wayne on Sunday, Feb. 18 at the Black & Gold Tournament in Montgomery, Ala. The Zips win over the Mastadons snapped a seven-game losing skid. Akron has tallied 12 runs all season, yielding 50 runs to opponents. The Zips are led by Sydney Jascoe with a .348 batting average, while Laura Lakins paces the squad in RBIs with four. Mikayla Newland has recorded the Zips lone win in the circle with a 1-4 record and a 3.46 ERA.

Mercer is 0-2 all-time against Akron, dropping both contests in 1994 and 1996. The Zips have outscored the Bears 20-0 in the two contests.

Dragon Tales
Drexel will kick off its season this weekend at the Black & Orange Challenge. The Dragons return top batter in sophomore Linda Rush. As a freshman, Rush broke six of Drexel's single-season records, including batting average, doubles, home runs and RBIs. As a team in 2017, Drexel posted a 5.02 ERA, led by Katie Haley with a 4.13 ERA. Haley returns as the veteran pitcher, posting four wins in 2017.

Mercer is 0-1 all-time against Drexel as the Dragons won the lone showdown by the final score of 3-2 in Marietta, Ga., in 1993.

Popping the Colonels
Eastern Kentucky enters the weekend challenge with a 5-3 overall mark, concluding the Charleston Southern Tournament with a 2-2 record. The Colonels most recently defeated Valparaiso by the final score of 16-3 in their final game of the CSU Tournament. Eastern Kentucky dropped a 7-2 decision to the Crusaders to open the CSU Tournament on Feb. 16. Zoe Mihalicz leads the squad at the plate with a .417 batting average and three runs batted in. Eastern Kentucky is led in the circle by Tori Peterson with a 3-1 record and a 1.25 ERA.

Mercer is 4-2 all-time against the Colonels, including a perfect 4-0 at home. The Bears most recently defeated Eastern Kentucky in a doubleheader on Feb. 8, 2014, 10-0 and 4-3.

How About the Highlanders?
Radford boasts a 6-3 overall mark heading into Macon, Ga., winning just two of its last five games. After a perfect 4-0 start in the Eagle Round Robin in Statesboro, Ga., the Highlanders posted a 2-3 mark at the First Pitch Classic in Charlotte, N.C. The Highlanders were slated to finish fifth in the Big South Preseason Poll and are led by Marissa Gagliano with a .444 batting average. Hunter Mundy paces the squad in long balls (3) and runs batted in (8). Abby Morrow has proven to be the ace so far in the season with a 4-1 mark and a 1.41 ERA.

Mercer is 6-3 all-time against Radford, including 2-2 at home. The Bears most recently defeated the Highlanders in back-to-back games on Feb. 12, 2011 (6-4) and Feb. 13, 2011 (4-3).

Follow the Bears
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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Players Mentioned

Caroline Taylor

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