Mercer Posts Saturday Split At Heart Of Georgia Classic

Saturday, February 10

Macon, Ga.

2:30 p.m.

Mercer University

Drexel

Mercer Posts Saturday Split At Heart Of Georgia Classic

2/10/2024 8:42:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Photo Gallery Photo Gallery 2

By: Todd Anderson, anderson_t02@mercer.edu

MACON – The Mercer softball team pulled out all of the punches in delivering a 12-5 victory over Drexel that moved the Bears to 3-0 for the first time in six years, but Atlantic-10 favorite Dayton pushed across lone runs in the sixth and seventh innings to register a 2-0 win over the Orange & Black in Saturday's nightcap at Sikes Field.

The setback put a damper on an otherwise stellar weekend for the Bears (3-1) who hit .369 across their four-game slate on Friday and Saturday, while also posting 7.0 runs per game as well. Drexel fell to 0-4 on opening-weekend play while Dayton (3-1), who brought back five position starters and three pitchers from last season's 35-win club, picked up their third win of the season with Saturday evening's result.

Redshirt junior transfer Hallie Langford delivered a team-best five hits (5-for-7) across both games on Saturday, including a 3-for-3 night against Dayton. Newcomer Grace Roark (1-0) threw five innings of scoreless relief to grab the win over Drexel, while fellow freshman Gabby Ellis (0-1) picked up the tough-luck loss against the Flyers despite limiting Dayton to just six hits and one run across 5-1/3 innings of work.

DOUBLEHEADER SUMMARY
GAME 1 FINAL	Mercer 12, Drexel 5
PITCHERS	WP: Grace Roark (1-0) LP: Lindsay Nelson (0-2)

GAME 2 FINAL	Dayton 2, Mercer 0
PITCHERS	WP: Izzy Kemp (2-0) LP: Gabby Ellis (0-1)

RECORDS	Mercer (3-1, 0-0 SoCon); Dayton (3-1, 0-0 A-10); Drexel (0-4, 0-0 CAA)

KEY INNINGS VS. DREXEL
TOP 3	Drexel used a quartet of hits and two ill-timed errors to erase an early 3-0 deficit, and eventually take the lead. The Dragons scratched the scoreboard on a RBI single from Izzy Alamillo, and then stormed ahead, 5-3, on Kalea Calugay's grand slam two batters later.
BOT 3	Tori Hedgecock and Kassidy Moore drew consecutive 1-out walks to signal a Mercer rally, and Avery Barton finished it off with a full-count home run off of the light pole in left field to give the hosts the lead for good.

KEY INNINGS VS. DAYTON
TOP 6	Dayton used a leadoff double and an ensuing single to get something going in the sixth, and then broke the scoreless deadlock on a RBI single to centerfield from Nicole Papavasiliou.
BOT 6	Mercer juiced the bases with their first three at-bats in the bottom of the sixth, but Izzy Kemp slammed the door on the potential game-tying rally with three-straight swinging strikeouts.

MU LEADERS VS. DREXEL	DU LEADERS VS. MERCER
Tori Hedgecock 1-1, 3 BB, HR, 3 RBI Avery Barton 1-3, BB, HR, 3 RBI Alyssa Woods 2-3, BB, RBI, R Grace Roark 5.0 IP, 3 H, 4 K	Kalea Calugay 2-4, HR, 4 RBI Devyn Demchak 3-3, 2B, R Grace Abbonizio 2-3, R Izzy Alamillo 1-4, RBI, R

MU LEADERS VS. DAYTON	UD LEADERS VS. MERCER
Hallie Langford 3-3, SB Taylor Rogers 1-3 Gabby Ellis 5.1 IP, ER	Maddie Kapsimalis 2-4, RBI, R Emily Daniel 2-3, R Nicole Papavasiliou 1-2, BB, RBI

UP NEXT
The Bears will open the road portion of their 2024 schedule on Wednesday when they make the short trip to Atlanta to battle in-state nemesis Georgia State (2-2). First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. at the Bob Heck Softball Complex.

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SUPPORT THE BEARS
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