Bears Top UAB to Earn Split in Athens

Saturday, March 6

Athens, Ga.

2:15 p.m.

Mercer University

5-7

Georgia

13-2

Mercer

Georgia

Photo by: Ben Murray

3/6/2021 10:54:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Micayla Rood led the Bears with three hits on the day

By: Stephen Waldman

ATHENS, Ga. – The Mercer softball team split its games against No. 19 Georgia and UAB on Saturday to open play at UGA's Bulldog Classic.

Micayla Rood produced a team-high three hits on the day, including the team's only hit against No. 19 Georgia in the first game. The Buford, Ga., native added two more base knocks and scored a run in the night cap against UAB. Bree Comer added a multi-hit performance against the Blazers, including a double, while driving in a team-high three runs and scoring another. Elisa Rosado recorded a two-run double and scored twice. Danielle Castleberry also drove in a run with a base knock, while Allie Jones, Annie Potter and Sophie Sumner tallied base hits. Jones hustled her way to the Bears' third double against UAB.

In the circle, the Bears received a pair of complete games from Ashlyn Donner and Madi Joice. Joice improved to 3-0 in her rookie campaign by holding the Blazers to two runs over seven innings of work.

Game One: #19 Georgia 9, Mercer 0 (5 Inn.)
Rood was locked in early as she laced a hot shot to shortstop and legged out an infield single with one out in the first inning.

Georgia took the lead in the bottom of the first when Jaiden Fields hit her first home run of the game after Lacey Fincher double to make it 2-0. The Bulldogs extended their lead to five runs thanks to a two-run single by Jayda Kearney and an RBI double by Sara Mosley in the third inning. Fields came back up to the plate with the bases loaded in the home half of the fourth and hit a grand slam for her second home run of the game.

Game Two: Mercer 7, UAB 2
The Bears were the designated home team for game two and bounced back with a strong offensive showing against the Blazers. After holding UAB off the board in the top of the first, the Mercer offense went to work in the home half of the opening inning. Rosado led off the game and took advantage of a poor defensive effort by UAB. The Plano, Texas native reached on a fielding error and ended up at second before a pass ball compounded with a throwing error by the catcher allowed her to score the first run of the game.

Mercer extended its lead in the second inning by scoring four runs. Jones smoked the first pitch of the frame to left field for a double before scoring on a double to left by Comer two batters later. Potter sent the next pitch into center field for Mercer's third hit of the inning, advancing Comer to third. Rosado pulled a double into right field to plate both Comer and Potter and stretched the Bears' advantage to 4-0. Following a single by Rood, Castleberry drove in Rosado with a base hit to center field.

UAB scored its first run of the game in the third inning on a solo home run from Sierra Frazier.

The Black and Orange answered in the home half of the fifth that started with Rood's second infield hit of the afternoon. She stole second before Braun and Kenlie Harvey walked to load the bases for Comer. The Gray, Ga., native shot a single between the third baseman and shortstop to score a pair and make it a 7-1 game. The Blazers managed to get one of those runs back in the sixth inning, but the deficit was too much for them to overcome as Mercer earned a split.

Notables
» Micayla Rood collected a team-high three hits on the day, including the only base knock against No. 19 Georgia in game one.
» Rood stole the 30th base of her career.
» Rood tallied her team-leading fourth multi-hit game of the year.
» Elisa Rosado recorded her fifth double of the season and 10th two-bagger of her career.
» Rosado notched her team-leading 14th hit of the season.
» Joice improved to a perfect 3-0 on the season.
» Bree Comer drove in a career-high three RBI against UAB.

Up Next
The Bears close out play at UGA's Bulldog Classic on Sunday against UAB at 11 a.m. before taking on the host Bulldogs at 5:30 p.m.

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.