RELENTLESS! Big Innings Move Bears Into Championship Sunday

Saturday, May 17

Gainesville, Fla.

2:30 p.m.

Mercer University

39-25

Georgia Tech

27-24

Mercer

Georgia Tech

RELENTLESS! Big Innings Move Bears Into Championship Sunday

5/17/2025 9:12:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Todd Anderson, anderson_t02@mercer.edu

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Fourth-seeded Mercer tallied four runs in the first inning to fuel a 7-3 victory over third-seeded Georgia Tech, and then tacked up crooked numbers in two different frames on the way to a 7-0 win over second-seeded Florida Atlantic, as the resilient Bears staved off elimination twice more to move into Championship Sunday at the NCAA Gainesville Regional.

It was the 20^th and 21^st wins in the last 25 outings for the Bears (40-25) who became just the second team (2009) in the 40-year history of the program to reach the 40-win plateau. The Orange & Black have now captured consecutive wins over Georgia Tech (27-24) for the first time since the 2013 campaign, and have now registered consecutive wins over Florida Atlantic (45-12) for the first time in the 30-year-old history of the series.

Saturday's triumphs also marked the seventh- and eighth-straight wins in tournament elimination games dating back to an 11-7 walk-off win over Wofford on May 7 that opened the Southern Conference Tournament.

Redshirt junior Hannah Pitts (7-10) struck out a pair of Yellow Jackets and scattered five hits and three earned runs across five innings of work to pick up the win in the early game. Sophomore Gabby Ellis (11-5) has now posted wins in six of her last nine appearances after hurling a 7-hit shutout against the Owls.

SUMMARY
GAME 1 FINAL	Mercer 7, Georgia Tech 3
PITCHERS	WP: Hannah Pitts (7-10) LP: Kinsey Norton (4-6)

GAME 2 FINAL	Mercer 7, Florida Atlantic 0
PITCHERS	WP: Gabby Ellis (11-5) LP: Autumn Courtney (24-4)

RECORDS	Records: Mercer 40-25; Georgia Tech 27-24; Florida Atlantic 45-12

KEY INNINGS (VS. GEORGIA TECH)
TOP 1	HMercer loaded the bases with its first three at-bats of the afternoon, and then took the lead for good on an ill-timed wild pitch. Grace Jones and KiKi Daniels followed with consecutive RBI singles to push the lead out to 3-0, and Hannah Rivers drew a 5-pitch bases-loaded walk two at-bats later to finish off the early damage.
TOP 4	Laura Vigna absorbed a 2-strike bean ball to open the fourth and Parris Wiggs hit a RBI double into the gap in left field two batters later to pad Mercer's lead out to 6-1. A costly fielding error later in the frame allowed Wiggs to scamper home with the seventh run for the Bears.

KEY INNINGS (VS. FLORIDA ATLANTIC)
BOT 1	Hallie Langford (single) and Parris Wiggs (fielder's choice) both moved into scoring position with just one out showing and Grace Jones provided all of the offense Mercer would need two batters later on a RBI single to left field. A RBI groundout from KiKi Daniels in the ensuing at-bat gave the Bears a 2-0 advantage.
BOT 4	Laura Vigna hit a 2-out RBI single to plate Hannah Rivers from second base, and Hallie Langford drew a 4-pitch walk to load the bases full of Bears in the ensuing at-bat. Parris Wiggs delivered the goods minutes later when she fought off an 0-and-2 count with a bases-clearing double that expanded MU's lead out to six runs.

MU LEADERS (GAME 1)	GT LEADERS (GAME 1)
Grace Jones 2-4, 2B, RBI, R Parris Wiggs 1-3, 2B, RBI, 2 R Hallie Langford 1-3, R KiKi Daniels 1-3, RBI	Gracyn Tucker 2-3, 2 RBI Alyssa Willer 1-3, RBI, R Emma Simon 1-3, R

MU LEADERS (GAME 2)	FAU LEADERS (GAME 2)
Parris Wiggs 1-3, 2B, 3 RBI, R Grace Jones 2-4, RBI Hallie Langford 1-3, 2 R Laura Vigna 1-3, RBI, R	Ciara Gibson 2-2, BB Bella Cimino 1-2, 2 BB Bella Foran 1-1, HBP

UP NEXT
The Bears will take on No. 3 National Seed Florida (45-14) in the championship round of the NCAA Gainesville Regional on Saturday at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. An MU win in the 1 p.m. contest will force a winner-take-all championship game at 3:30 p.m.

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