Mercer Falls to Nicholls, Alabama State on Friday

Friday, February 28

Montgomery, Ala.

1:30 PM ET

Mercer University

8-9

Nicholls State

8-12

Mercer

Nicholls State

Photo by: Mitch Robinson

Mercer Falls to Nicholls, Alabama State on Friday

2/28/2020 10:28:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Danielle Castleberry increased her streak to eight straight multi-hit games

By: Stephen Waldman

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Mercer softball team fought hard on the first day of the Alabama State Tournament, but fell to Nicholls State, 5-4, and host Alabama State, 7-4, Friday at the Barbara Williams Softball Complex.

Danielle Castleberry led the offense with another pair of multi-hit games as she went 4-for-6 on the day. The Ellenwood, Ga., native added two doubles, two RBI, two runs scored, a walk and a stolen base to her line. Allie Jones added a 3-for-7 showing at the dish with a double and a triple with two RBI and a stolen base as well. Diamond Williams, Rachel Baker, Elisa Rosado, Micayla Rood, Kenlie Harvey and Sarah Taylor all contributed to the offensive output with a base hit as well.

Game One: Nicholls State 5, Mercer 4
The Bears defense worked its way out of the first jam of the game in the bottom of the second inning. With runners on second and third with one out, Pattison induced a pair of groundouts to neutralize the threat.

After both teams were scoreless through the first three innings, Nicholls scratched across four runs in the home half of the fourth. Caitlin Garcia opened the scoring with a solo home run before Skylar Hamilton and Corynn Major added to the Colonels' lead.

Mercer battled back in the sixth inning when a pair of clutch two-out hits. Castleberry came up to the plate and delivered a single up the middle to score Rosado and Williams who both reached on walks. After a wild pitch, Jones belted an RBI triple to center field to cut the deficit to one, 4-3.

Needing a run to keep the game going, Schwartz led off the top of the seventh with a walk before pinch runner Briana Rodriguez advanced to second on a sac bunt. Harvey dug into the box with two outs and roped an 0-1 pitch into center field for a base hit to plate Rodriguez for the game-tying run.

The Colonels answered in the bottom of the frame as they loaded the bases for Yasmeen Williams who recorded the game-winning hit.

Game Two: Alabama State 7, Mercer 4
Mercer started fast in the night cap with a trio of runs in the opening inning. Rood kick started the rally with a leadoff single before stealing second to put herself in scoring position. Rosado followed with a base hit that drove in the first run of the contest. Taylor added to the lead with a two-out double to left center and scored on a Diamond Williams single.

Byrd was dealing early as she retired eight-of-the-first-nine-hitters she faced before Alex Massie recorded Alabama State's first hit with two outs in the third. The Hornets tied the game with three runs in the inning thanks to a two-run double by Kindall DeRamus.

The Bears regained the lead in the following frame when Baker got things started with a one-out single up the middle. She put pressure on the ASU defense by going first-to-third on a groundout to the hot corner, forcing an errant throw by the first baseman that allowed her to cruise home for the go-ahead run.

The home side provided a response in the fifth inning when they tied the game on a Marina Clark double. Alabama State managed to take the lead later in the frame when Kaley Anthony hit a three-run home run to take a 7-4 lead.

Jones tried to spark another comeback for Mercer in the seventh inning with an RBI double to left, but the visitors were unable to overcome the deficit.

Notables
» Mercer suffered its first loss in six games when committing zero errors in a game this season.
» Castleberry recorded her eighth-straight multi-hit game.
» Castleberry leads the team with 11 multi-hit games and 26 hits.
» She has reached base in a personal-best 13 consecutive games.
» Jones has recorded a hit in eight of the last nine games for the Bears.
» Jones increased her team lead in stolen bases with her 14th of the season.
» Jones belted her fourth career triple, setting a new personal best with two this year.
» Rosado scored her 10th run of the season.
» Rood tallied her 25th career stolen base.

Up Next
The Bears continue the Alabama State Tournament against Southern Miss (10 a.m.) and Nicholls State (3 p.m.) on Saturday before wrapping up the tournament against Southern Miss (10 a.m.) on Sunday.

Follow the Bears
For complete coverage of Mercer Softball, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerUSoftball (Twitter), /MUSoftball (Facebook) and @MercerUSoftball (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.