Mercer Downs Stony Brook, Succumbs To Tennessee State

Friday, February 14

Nashville, Tenn.

11 a.m.

Mercer University

5-2

Stony Brook

1-5

Mercer

Stony Brook

Mercer Downs Stony Brook, Succumbs To Tennessee State

2/14/2025 2:38:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Todd Anderson, anderson_t02@mercer.edu

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Mercer tacked up 17 hits and scored nine times behind a complete game-effort from Grace Roark to top Stony Brook in their Friday opener, but could not hold off a late-inning comeback effort by host Tennessee State, as the Bears split a pair of games at the Roar City Invitational in Music City, USA.

The Bears (5-3) pushed their win streak out to three games with the 9-6 win over the Seawolves (1-5) in the morning contest, but had that winning skein snapped in the 8-6 setback to the Tigers (3-4).

SUMMARY
GAME 1 FINAL	Mercer 9, Stony Brook 6
PITCHERS	WP: Grace Roark (2-1) LP: Gabrielle Maday (1-3)

GAME 2 FINAL	Tennessee State 8, Mercer 6
PITCHERS	WP: Reina Castillo (2-3) LP: Hannah Pitts (1-1)

RECORDS	Mercer 5-3 (0-0 SoCon); Stony Brook 1-5 (0-0 CAA); Tennessee State 3-4 (0-0 OVC)

KEY INNINGS (VS. STONY BROOK)
TOP 3	Mercer broke open a close game with four runs in the top of the third. The Bears put their first three runners of the frame aboard safely, including a 2-run double from KiKi Daniels, and then made it a 4-0 affair on a RBI groundout from Sietske Drijvers. Hallie Langford laced a 1-out double down the right field line to get something going again for MU, and Hannah Rivers finished off the scoring play two batters later via a 2-out RBI single.
BOT 6	Stony Brook utilized a pair of hits and an ill-timed error to pull to within a run, 7-6. The Seawolves put a pair of runners into scoring position with two outs to set the table for a RBI single from Marissa Thalassinos, then got a 2-run double from Kyra McFarland.
TOP 7	Parris Wiggs walked to lead off the seventh, and Laura Vigna singled up the middle to get two runners aboard for the Bears, and the Orange & Black provided the final on a 2-run double to the gap in right field.

KEY INNINGS (VS. TENNESSEE STATE)
TOP 4	Mercer strung together a trio of hits and scored three times on the way to building a 6-1 lead. Emma Dorval provided the first run of the frame on a 1-out RBI single, and the Bears brought two runners scurrying across a short time later thanks to a RBI single from KiKi Daniels, as well as a costly error that was mixed into the action.
BOT 5	Tennessee State put its first two batters aboard via single and double, respectively, and then cut into its deficit on Onnika Spencer's sac fly. Anayah Baker Rowell's RBI single with the next at-bat made it a 6-3 affair.
BOT 6	Mercer starter Hannah Pitts sat down the first two Tigers she faced, but the hosts went to work after that. TSU used a walk, bean ball and shallow single to load the bases, and then used an Onnika Spencer single, as well as an error, to clear the bases and knot the game back up. Anayah Baker Rowell's double two pitches later, as well as another ill-timed error, brought two more runs across.

MU LEADERS (GAME 1)	SBU LEADERS (GAME 1)
Tori Hedgecock 4-5, 2 2B, 3B, 2 RBI, 2 R Hallie Langford 2-4, 2B, 2 R Hannah Rivers 2-4, 2 RBI Laura Vigna 2-4, R	Kyra McFarland 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI Marissa Thalassinos 1-3, RBI, 2 R Alyssa Costello 1-2, BB, R Mia Vannelli 1-4, RBI

MU LEADERS (GAME 2)	TSU LEADERS (GAME 2)
Sietske Drijvers 2-3, BB, 2B, R KiKi Daniels 2-4, 2 RBI, R Grace Jones 1-4, 2B, 2 R Emma Dorval 1-3, RBI, R	Anayah Baker-Rowell 4-4, 2 2B, 3 RBI Jace Jackson 2-3, 2B, 3 R Onnika Spencer 1-3, 3 RBI, R Hailey Hunt 1-3

UP NEXT
The Bears will return home again on Wednesday for a key in-state battle against Georgia State (0-6). First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. and admission is free.

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