Mercer Battles East Tennessee State On Senior Weekend

Saturday, April 13

Macon, Ga.

2 p.m.

Mercer University

East Tennessee State

Mercer Battles East Tennessee State On Senior Weekend

4/12/2024 3:17:00 PM | Softball

By: Todd Anderson, anderson_t02@mercer.edu

MACON – The Mercer softball team will continue a seven-game home stand on Saturday and Sunday when the Bears bunker down to take on Southern Conference rival East Tennessee State in a weekend series at Sikes Field. The squads will open up the weekend with a 2 p.m. Senior Day doubleheader on Saturday, and will close out the weekend with a 1 p.m. battle on Sunday.

Fans unable to make the trip to Middle Georgia can still follow the games for free via live statistics links provided by the MU athletics department. All three games of the weekend set are slated to be streamed live on ESPN+ as well.

SoCon co-leading Mercer (18-19, 7-2 SoCon) rolls into Saturday fresh from finishing off a weekend sweep of league rival Furman last weekend – a series that saw the Bears get standout outings in the circle from both sophomore Grace Taylor and redshirt sophomore Hannah Pitts, including Taylor's seven-inning relief gem that fueled a comeback win for the hosts on Sunday. The Bears rolled to 3-1 and 6-1 victories, respectively, in Saturday's series-opening doubleheader, and then rallied all the way back from an early 4-0 deficit to sting the Paladins in extra innings, 5-4, in the finale.

The Bears have captured nine of their last 13 outings, including a current three-game win streak, and have fueled their skein of success with a balanced attack. MU is hitting nearly .320 over its last 13 games, while also tacking up 8.5 hits and 6.8 runs per game across that span. Defensively, the Bears have been just as impressive, registering a 2.92 team earned run average, while also turning in a .981 fielding percentage.

Seniors Alyssa Woods and Kassidy Moore will bring the hot bats into this weekend's series. Woods has amassed a .500 (12-for-24) batting average with three RBI and five runs scored over the last six games, while Moore has logged hits in eight of her last 17 trips to the plate (.471) with two homers, five RBI and a quartet of runs scored. Junior Tori Hedgecock, who rolls into the weekend sporting NCAA Division I's third-highest home run total (17), has hit four long balls in her last seven starts, while also tacking up 14 RBI and nine runs scored.

Pitts and Taylor have been a 1-2 punch in the middle for the Bears as of late. Pitts has won three of her last four starts while compiling a 1.64 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 25-2/3 innings pitched across that span, while Taylor is 3-1 with a 2.80 ERA over her last four appearances. Taylor evened up her record at 8-8 on the campaign with a phenomenal relief outing on Sunday that saw her strike out four and yield just two hits in seven innings from the circle.

SERIES HISTORY

Mercer leads the all-time series, 28-19, but the squads have split the last four matchups right down the middle. The Bears dropped the bookends of last season's weekend series in Johnson City, Tenn., but used a 4-3 decision to oust the Buccaneers from the SoCon Tournament.

SCOUTING THE BUCCANEERS

East Tennessee State (7-25, 1-8) has dropped 16 of its last 19 outings, but snapped a long losing skid with a win at Winthrop on March 26, and also picked up back-to-back home wins over Gardner-Webb and Western Carolina. The Buccaneers boast the SoCon's sixth-best fielding percentage squad, but rank eighth among league pitching totals while showing a 5.83 team ERA.

Individually, junior infielder Cameron Young shows a team-best .360 batting clip and ranks among national leaders with a dozen doubles already this season. Two other players – junior infielder Riley Nayadley and sophomore outfielder Brylee Mesusan – are hitting .344 and .343, respectively, while Mesusan will also bring a team-best 12 stolen bases into the weekend as well.

Despite an 0-10 record, sophomore southpaw Taylor Suchy has been the workhorse for the ETSU pitching staff, registering team-bests in strikeouts (33) and innings pitched (60.2), while also limiting opponents to a .294 batting average. Junior Sara Muir and senior Whitley Arnott both possess a team-high three wins.

UP NEXT FOR THE BEARS

Following this weekend's series with the Buccaneers, Mercer will close out its seven-game home stand on Wednesday when it takes on in-state rival Georgia Southern (20-16) at Sikes Field. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.

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SUPPORT THE BEARS

Fans can help support the Mercer athletics department by making a gift to the Mercer Athletic Foundation. To find out more information about the Mercer Athletic Foundation, visit S upportMAF.com or email maf@mercer.edu.