Mercer Splits Saturday Twinbill With Visiting Samford

Saturday, May 4

Macon, Ga.

11 a.m.

Mercer University

22-26, 11-8

Samford

19-30, 10-9

Samford

Mercer

Mercer Splits Saturday Twinbill With Visiting Samford

5/4/2024 5:59:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Todd Anderson, anderson_t02@mercer.edu

MACON – Senior Kassidy Moore's 2-out grand slam in the bottom of the sixth inning lifted the Mercer softball team to a series-opening 7-5 victory in the early game, but visiting Samford used a solo homer with one out in the top of the 9^th inning to fuel 2-1 triumph and a doubleheader split with the Bears on Saturday at Sikes Field.

Mercer (22-27, 11-9 SoCon) snapped a nine-game series winless streak with the win in Game 1, while also giving the Orange & Black its most Southern Conference victories (11) since the 2018 squad turned in 11 league wins as well. Samford (20-30, 11-9), which registered an upset win over then-No. 18 Mississippi State on April 24, logged its 14^th win since March 27 with the Game 2 decision.

Redshirt sophomore Hannah Pitts (6-8) struck out six across six innings of work to pick up the win in Game 1 of Saturday's twinbill, while sophomore Grace Taylor notched her first save of the campaign by working a scoreless seventh. Taylor (10-13) saddled the tough-luck loss in the second game despite yielding just two earned runs across her career-best 10^th complete game of the season.

SUMMARY
GAME 1 FINAL	Mercer 7, Samford 5
PITCHERS	WP: Hannah Pitts (6-8) LP: Jordyn Partain (9-15) Save: Grace Taylor (1)

GAME 2 FINAL	Samford 2, Mercer 1 (9 Innings)
PITCHERS	WP: McKenzie Newcomb (7-3) LP: Grace Taylor (10-13)

RECORDS	Mercer 22-27 (11-9 SoCon); Samford 20-30 (11-9 SoCon)

KEY INNINGS (GAME 1)
TOP 5	Samford tacked up three consecutive one-out singles, including a RBI knock from Logan Champion, to chop at a 3-1 deficit entering the frame, then stormed ahead on Katie Campbell's 3-run blast three pitches later.
BOT 6	Janessa Plummer legged out an infield single and Tori Hedgecock drew a 5-pitch walk moments later to load the bases full of Bears, and Kassidy Moore provided the dramatics minutes later when she leaned into a one-strike offering from Samford starter Jordyn Partain and deposited it over the right field wall.


KEY INNINGS (GAME 2)
BOT 7	Kassidy Moore gave a 1-ball offering from Samford starter McKenzie Newcomb a 215-foot ride over the wall in left field to even up the contest.
TOP 9	Ansley Yantis gave the Bulldogs the lead for good when she took a two-strike offering from Grace Taylor over the wall in centerfield.

MU LEADERS (GAME 1)	SU LEADERS (GAME 1)
Kassidy Moore 2-3, HR, 5 RBI Tori Hedgecock 1-1, 3 BB, HR, 2 RBI Janessa Plummer 1-2, 2 SAC, R Alyssa Woods 1-3, BB, 2 R	McKayla Cothran 2-4 Sarah Squillace 2-4, R Katie Campbell 1-3, BB, HR, 3 RBI Olivie Shaw 1-3, BB, R

MU LEADERS (GAME 2)	SU LEADERS (GAME 2)
Kassidy Moore 1-4, HR Alyssa Woods 1-4 Janessa Plummer 1-4 Grace Taylor 9.0 IP, 2 ER, 2 K	Katie Campbell 2-4, RBI Sarah Squillace 2-5, R Ansley Yantis 1-4, HR McKenzie Newcomb 9.0 IP, 3 H, 7 K

UP NEXT
The Bears will close out the regular season portion of their schedule on Sunday afternoon when they battle Samford in the series rubber game at Sikes Field. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. and admission is free.

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SUPPORT THE BEARS
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