Mercer Sweeps Twin Bill; Claims Series Over Chattanooga

Sunday, April 11

Macon, Ga.

12 p.m.

Mercer University

17-15, 2-3

Chattanooga

9-17, 5-2

Chattanooga

Mercer

Photo by: Mitch Robinson

Mercer Sweeps Twin Bill; Claims Series Over Chattanooga

4/11/2021 7:04:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

The Bears won their first conference series of the season

By: Stephen Waldman

MACON, Ga. – The Mercer softball team swept its doubleheader against Chattanooga, 4-1 and 8-2, en route to a series victory over the Mocs at Sikes Field on Sunday.

The Bears totaled 23 hits on the day, including a season-high 16 in the series finale. Mercer's veteran leadership was on full display in the doubleheader as seniors Allie Jones and Micayla Rood each posted a team-high four hits, while fellow seniors Danielle Castleberry and Bree Comer added three hits apiece. The quartet combined to hit .560 on the afternoon (14-for-25) with eight runs scored, six stolen bases and four RBI.

Mercer totaled had nine multi-hit efforts between the two games, including seven in the series finale. Jones was the only player with multiple hits in both games of the doubleheader and was one of two Bears, along with Tori Ash, with more than one hit in game one. Rood and Castleberry each tallied a game-high three hits in the finale, while Elisa Rosado, Comer, Annie Potter and Sophie Sumner posted multiple base knocks in the series-clinching victory.

Ashlyn Donner and Amber Byrd controlled the Mocs' hitters in the circle as they both threw complete games. Both Bears pitchers scattered seven hits in as many innings while issuing one free pass and allowing an earned run.

Game One: Mercer 4, Chattanooga 1
Mercer opened the scoring in the second inning that started with a leadoff single by Jones. The Calhoun, Ga., native advanced to third on a sac bunt by Castleberry before scoring on an RBI single by Adele Braun. A wild pitch and a ground out moved the Bears' rookie third baseman to third before she beat the throw home on a grounder to shortstop to extend the lead to 2-0.

The Mocs got off to a good start in the third as Snell led off with a base hit before being moved up on a sac bunt. Donner buckled down and retired the next two hitters to get out of the jam. The New Ulm, Minn., native carried that momentum into the next inning as she set the Mocs down in order in the fourth.

The Bears' bats heated back up in the fourth inning as the home team added to its lead. Braun led off by being hit by a pitch before moving into scoring position on a wild pitch and crossing the plate on an RBI single by Comer. Comer, who advanced to second on the throw home, was sacrificed over to third and scored the team's fourth run of the ballgame when Ash shot a 3-1 offering back up the middle for a single.

Mercer threatened in the bottom of the fifth as it loaded the bases with one out after Jones singled, Castleberry was hit by a pitch and Braun drew a walk in consecutive plate appearances. Chattanooga went to the bullpen and brought in Kat Thompson which turned out to be the right call as she retired the next two hitters to get out of the inning unharmed.

Chattanooga scratched across its first run of the game in the sixth inning on a Hayleigh Weissenbach RBI single, but the visitors were unable to compete their comeback efforts as Mercer evened the series at one game apiece heading into the finale.

Game Two: Mercer 8, Chattanooga 2
After a leadoff hit by Chattanooga, Byrd retired the next three Mocs to put Mercer on offense. The Bears wasted no time getting their bats going in the decisive series finale as they faced Brooke Parrott who allowed just three runs in her last 22.1 innings of work. Mercer scored twice in the bottom of the inning. Rosado and Rood started the rally with back-to-back singles to open the frame before executing a double steal to move both runners into scoring position. Rosado scored the team's first run on an RBI ground out by Kylie Helm before Jones plated Rood with a sacrifice fly to right field.

Byrd retired Chattanooga in order in the second, and Mercer's offense duplicated its efforts from the first inning in the bottom of the inning. Comer led off with an opposite-field hit and advanced to second on a sac bunt by Potter. She scored two batters later when Rosado swung at the first pitch and knocked the ball into left field for an RBI single. The Mocs' throw home was not in time to get Comer and allowed Rosado to move up to second. The Frisco, Texas, native would only spend a brief amount of time 120 feet away from home plate as Rood traded places with her on a similar play where she lined an RBI single to left and advanced to second on the throw.

Chattanooga picked up a pair of hits off Byrd in the third, but the Jackson, Tenn., native showed off her reflexes as she snagged a comebacker and started an inning-ending 1-6 double play.

Mercer added two runs in the third inning that was started by back-to-back singles from Jones and Castleberry. Jones, who stole second during Castleberry's at-bat, extended the Bears' lead to 5-0 after scoring on a defensive miscue by Chattanooga. Castleberry moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt and to third on a ground out before Potter rocketed a hit over the third-base bag and down the line in left for an RBI double. A single by Sumner and a four-pitch walk by Rosado loaded the bases, but Mercer was unable to capitalize as a fly out to center field ended the inning.

The Mocs scored their first run of the game in the top of the fourth on a two-out Mercer error but was limited to one run as Weissenbach was overly aggressive on the base paths and was thrown out at home for the final out trying to score from second.

The Bears' offense continued to produce in the home half of the frame with their fourth consecutive two-run inning. Jones and Castleberry once again kick-started the offense with a pair of one-out hits. Jones hustled across home plate on a sacrifice bunt attempt by Braun. The Mocs came home on the play to try and cut off the run, but they were unable to get the out as Braun not only reached on the play, but was able to advance to second base. Comer came up next and shot a single through the right side to score Braun and make it an 8-1 game.

Chattanooga added one more run in the top of the sixth on a solo home run by Cameren Swafford, but Byrd and the Bears cruised to their first conference series victory of the season.

Notables
» Mercer won its first home SoCon series since taking two-of-three from Western Carolina on March 29-30, 2019.
» The Bears posted a season-high 16 hits in the series finale.
» Jones produced her seventh and eighth multi-hit games of the season.
» Jones extended her hitting streak to five games, recording 10 hits over that stretch.
» Jones scored her 15th run and stole her 15th base of the year.
» Castleberry tallied the 160th hit and was hit by a pitch for the 40th time in her career.
» Castleberry and Rood posted their 10th multi-hit games of the season.
» Castleberry documented the 45th multi-hit performance of her career.
» Castleberry notched her SoCon-leading 35th hit of the year.
» Rood earned her 150th career hit.
» Rood became the third Mercer player this season to record at least 30 hits, joining Castleberry and Rosado.
» Rood stole the 38th base of her career, moving into seventh on Mercer's all-time list.
» Rood scored the 104th run of her career, tying Stacy Nagel for ninth in program history.
» Comer tallied her third multi-hit game of the season.
» Potter notched the eighth extra-base hit of her rookie campaign with her sixth double.
» Rosado picked up her seventh multi-hit game of the season.
» Rosado documented her 60th career base hit while driving in her 20th career RBI.
» Braun became the sixth Mercer player to record double-digit RBI this season and the second rookie to accomplish the feat.
» Ash earned her first multi-hit game of the season with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate with an RBI.
» Sumner added her fourth multi-hit performance, three of which have come in the last four games.
» Byrd tallied her fifth win of the season and 10th as a member of the Bears.
» Byrd tossed her 10th complete game since joining Mercer last season.
» Donner improved to a team-best 6-4 on the season while going the distance for the fifth time.
» Donner started her 13th game for Mercer, the most on the pitching staff.

Up Next
The Bears will remain at home next weekend for another SoCon series as they welcome Western Carolina to Sikes Field for a three-game set. Mercer opens up with a doubleheader against the Catamounts on Saturday at before playing the series finale on Sunday. First pitch for both days is scheduled for 1 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.