Bears Fall Twice On Day 1 Of Green & Gold Classic

Friday, February 20

Birmingham, Ala.

10 a.m.

Mercer University

8-3

Southern Illinois

8-3

Southern Illinois

Mercer

Bears Fall Twice On Day 1 Of Green & Gold Classic

2/20/2026 6:07:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Todd Anderson, anderson_t02@mercer.edu

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Southern Illinois negated an early 3-1 deficit with four runs in the fourth inning, while 25^th-ranked Ole Miss scored five runs in the fourth and seven more in the fifth inning, to hand the Mercer softball team a pair of losses on opening-day action at the UAB-hosted Green & Gold Classic on Friday.

The Bears (8-4) combined for just seven hits across their first two games of the round-robin event, including just a pair of safeties in the abbreviated 13-0 setback to the nationally-ranked Rebels (8-4). MU led the Salukis (8-3), 3-1, following a 2-out RBI single from Meredith Wayland in the bottom of the second inning, but ultimately succumbed to SIU, 8-3.

SUMMARY
GAME 1 FINAL	Southern Illinois 8, Mercer 3
PITCHERS	WP: Emily Delgado (1-0) LP: Madison Starr (1-1; Save: None

GAME 2 FINAL	#25 Ole Miss 13, Mercer 0 (5 Innings)
PITCHERS	WP: Emilee Boyer (1-2); LP: Grace Roark (2-2); Save: None

RECORDS	Mercer 8-4; Southern Illinois 8-3; Ole Miss 8-4

KEY INNINGS (VS. SOUTHERN ILLINOIS)
BOT 2	Daniella Monaco climbed aboard via a leadoff single and moved into scoring position via an ensuing error. Isabel Fernandez moved the Monaco to third on an unselfish sacrifice bunt to set the table for Meredith Wayland's run-scoring single to centerfield that gave MU a 3-1 advantage.
TOP 4	Southern Illinois loaded the bases with its first three at-bats, and made it a 3-2 affair on a 1-out RI single from Maleah Blomenkamp. MU starter Madison Starr got within a pitch of escaping any further damage when she induced Emily Williams to foul out, but a costly error minutes later cleared the bases for the Salukis and gave them a 5-3 lead.

KEY INNINGS (VS. OLE MISS)
TOP 4	Ole Miss broke open an otherwise close game with five runs on as many hits in a big 2-out rally in the fourth inning. Tenly Grisham got the scoring started when she pushed across a pair of runs on a 2-out single up the middle, while Taylor Malvin (single), Mackenzie Pickens (double) and Persy Llamas (single) followed with consecutive run-scoring knocks.

MU LEADERS (GAME 1)	SIU LEADERS (GAME 1)
Daniella Monaco 2-3, 3B, R Avery Barton 1-3, HR, 2 RBI Grace Jones 1-2, BB, 2B, R Meredith Wayland 1-2, RBI	Mikaela Coburn 2-4, 2 RBI Meleah Blomenkamp 2-4, BB, RBI, 2 R Amanda Knutson 2-3, R Charleston Pursley 2-4, 2B, R

MU LEADERS (GAME 2)	UM LEADERS (GAME 2)
Jessie Taylor 1-3, 2B Olivia Lenzen 1-1, BB Isabel Fernandez 0-0, BB	Cassie Reasner 3-4, HR, 3 RBI Persy Llamas 2-4, 3 RBI Mackenzie Pickens 1-2, 2 BB, 2 RBI, 2 R Emilee Boyer 4.0 IP, 2 H, 5 BB

UP NEXT
Mercer will get a 24-hour break from action at the UAB-hosted Green & Gold Classic, but will return to Mary Bowers Field on Saturday night to go head-to-head with No. 1 Tennessee (10-0). First pitch is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.

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SUPPORT THE BEARS
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