Mercer Splits Twin Bill at Samford to Open SoCon Play

Friday, March 26

Birmingham, Ala.

3 p.m. (ET)

Mercer University

12-13, 0-1

Samford

11-14, 1-0

Mercer

Samford

Photo by: Mitch Robinson

Mercer Splits Twin Bill at Samford to Open SoCon Play

3/26/2021 9:49:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Annie Potter went 3-for-3 with a triple and 3 RBI in the game 2 victory

By: Stephen Waldman

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Mercer softball team returned to Southern Conference play for the first time in nearly 700 days by splitting a doubleheader at Samford on Friday.

Mercer captured a 6-1 victory in game two after dropping its conference opener, 10-0.

The Bears' offense came alive in the nightcap after starting slow in game one with six runs on eight hits. Rookie Annie Potter made a splash in her first conference appearances, going 3-for-4 on the day with a triple and three RBI. The Largo, Fla., native was a perfect 3-for-3 in game two, tying a season high in hits and RBI which she set against UAB in the UGA Bulldog Classic on March 7. Redshirt senior Danielle Castleberry added two hits in the second game while scoring one of Mercer's six runs. Sophomore Diamond Williams went 1-for-3 on the day with two RBI and a run scored, while fellow sophomore Elisa Rosado finished 2-for-7 with an RBI.

In the circle, sophomore Ashlyn Donner was impressive in her first SoCon appearance, scattering six hits and one run over a complete seven-inning effort. The New Ulm, Minn., native notched her fourth win of the season while going the distance for the third time.

Game One: Samford 10, Mercer 0 (6 Inn.)
Mercer struggled to find its stride offensively in the series opener as the visitors' first base runner came in the fourth inning when Rosado led off with an infield single. The Bears' other hit of the game came in the following inning when Allie Jones single to center field to lead off the frame.

Samford jumped out to an early lead when Whitney Hinton hit a solo home run to right center. The Bulldogs added to their lead in the second inning on a Timberlyn Shurbutt sac fly and an RBI double by Amanda Briskin. Hinton hit her second homer of the game in the fourth inning to give the home team a four-run lead. Mekhi Mayfield added a three-run homer in the fifth inning, and Grace Robertson ended the game with a three-run shot in the sixth inning.

Game Two: Mercer 6, Samford 1
Mercer opened the scoring in the second inning after both pitchers traded 1-2-3 innings in the first. Adele Braun reached after being hit by a pitch with one out and advanced to third on a Madison Headley single two batters later. Headley proceeded to steal second to put two runners in scoring position for Potter who roped a triple down the line in right field to score both Bears baserunners.

Donner continued her strong start to the game in the second when she induced three consecutive ground outs. She retired her eighth-straight Bulldog to start the game before Ansley Yantis singled to left. Donner locked back in by striking out Mayfield and getting a ground out to second to get out of the inning.

The Bears' lead was cut in half in the bottom of the fourth when Hinton homered to left field for the first Samford run of game two. Mercer threatened in the following frame that started with Headley reaching on an error and Potter reaching on a bunt single. Following a fielder's choice, Rosado moved Potter and Sophie Sumner into scoring position with a ground out to the pitcher. The Bears were unable to add to their lead, however, as a ground out to short ended the inning.

Mercer carried that momentum into the sixth inning as Castleberry led off with a single and Jones followed with a walk to move the Bears' second baseman up 60 feet. A Braun sac bunt moved Castleberry and Jones into scoring position before Bree Comer drew a free pass to load the bases. Williams was called upon to pinch hit and came through with a two-run single up the middle. Potter followed suit by shooting an RBI single of her own up the middle to plate Comer and send Williams to third. Rosado legged out an infield single with two outs, allowing Williams to score Mercer's fourth run of the inning to make it a 6-1 game.

That would be all the help Donner would need as she kept Samford off the board in the final two innings to secure the win for the Bears.

Notables
» Mercer played in its first Southern Conference series in 692 days and first since a three-game sweep on May 4-5, 2019, at Furman.
» Potter notched her third multi-hit game of the year.
» Potter matched her season high with three hits and three RBI in game two.
» Potter documented her first career triple.
» Potter became the fourth Mercer player with double-digit RBI this season.
» Potter and Williams produced their fourth multi-RBI games of the season to tie for the team lead.
» Williams scored her eighth run of the season, tying her total from last year.
» Donner earned her fourth win of the season to tie Madi Joice for the team lead.
» Donner produced her third complete game of the year.
» Jones stole her 12th base of the season which is tied for 36th most in Division I.
» Jones tallied her 42nd career stolen base to tie Shannon Tolin for the fifth-most in program history.
» Rosado recorded her team-leading 28th hit of the season, setting a new single-season personal best.
» Castleberry recorded her seventh multi-hit game of the season.
» Castleberry earned her 25th hit of the year.
» Headley swiped her first stolen base as a member of the Bears.

Up Next
The Bears will wrap up their first conference series of the season on Saturday with first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m. (ET).

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.