Samford Uses Last At-Bats To Take Two From Mercer

Saturday, March 22

Birmingham, Ala.

2 p.m.

Mercer University

16-15, 0

Samford

19-12, 0

Mercer

Samford

Photo by: Samford Athletics

Samford Uses Last At-Bats To Take Two From Mercer

3/22/2025 6:52:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Todd Anderson, anderson_t02@mercer.edu

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A pair of ill-timed errors in the bottom of the seventh allowed a pair of runs to scurry across home plate as Samford finished off a series-opening doubleheader sweep of visiting Mercer with a 2-1 win over the Bears in the late game on Saturday in Birmingham, Ala.

The Bulldogs (20-12, 2-0 SoCon) used a 2-run rally in the bottom of the sixth inning to post a 7-6 win in Saturday's early game. Mercer (16-16, 0-2) will look to salvage the series when the two meet in Sunday's 2 p.m. series finale at the Samford Softball Field.

SUMMARY
GAME 1 FINAL	Samford 7, Mercer 6
PITCHERS	WP: Jordyn Partain (8-7) LP: Hannah Pitts (4-3)

GAME 2 FINAL	Samford 2, Mercer 1
PITCHERS	WP: Olivia Treece (4-1) LP: Gabby Ellis (5-3)

RECORDS	Records: Mercer 16-16 (0-2 SoCon); Samford 20-12 (2-0 SoCon)

KEY INNINGS (GAME 1)
BOT 6	Ella Nelson hit a 1-out double to get something going for the Bulldogs, and McKayla Cothran hit a go-ahead RBI single two batters leader to give Samford the lead for good. Olivia Shaw's sacrifice fly with the ensuing at-bat tacked up an insurance run the Bulldogs would eventually need.
TOP 7	Mercer used a pair of walks and a single to centerfield by Parris Wiggs to load the bases with just one out showing, but the Bears were only able to muster one run on a sacrifice fly off of the bat of Sietske Drijvers.

KEY INNINGS (GAME 2)
TOP 1	Hallie Langford led off the game with an infield single, and moved all the way to third base on a pair of ill-timed passed balls. Tori Hedgecock gave the Bears the lead for good on a RBI single to centerfield, and Grace Jones made it a 2-0 game two batters later on a seeing-eye single up the middle.
BOT 7	Samford used a leadoff double and a pair of costly mistakes to load the bases with its first three at-bats in the seventh. McKayla Cothran followed by hitting a chopped up the middle that was misplayed by the Mercer infield and led to a pair of runs crossing the plate.

MU LEADERS (GAME 1)	SU LEADERS (GAME 1)
Grace Jones 2-3, HR, 2 R Parris Wiggs 2-3, SAC, R Tori Hedgecock 1-3, BB, HR, 2 RBI Hannah Pitts 6.0 IP, 5 K	Ella Nelson 2-3, 2B, 2 RBI, 3 R McKayla Cothran 2-4, RBI Logan Champion 1-2, SF, RBI Olivia Shaw 0-1, BB, SF, RBI

MU LEADERS (GAME 2)	SU LEADERS (GAME 2)
Hallie Langford 2-3, BB, R Tori Hedgecock 1-4, RBI Gabby Ellis 6.0 IP, 3 H, 2 K	Logan Champion 1-2, 2B Sarah Squillace 1-2, BB Olivia Shaw 1-3, 2B Olivia Treece 7.0 IP, ER

UP NEXT
Mercer will close out its series with Samford on Sunday at 2 p.m. The Bears will close out their road trip on Tuesday when they head to Atlanta to take on Georgia Tech (17-12).

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