Bears Split Saturday Twinbill, But Take Series With Bryant

Saturday, March 14

Macon, Ga.

Noon

Mercer University

11-13

Bryant

8-12

Bryant

Mercer

Bears Split Saturday Twinbill, But Take Series With Bryant

3/14/2026 5:35:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Todd Anderson, anderson_t02@mercer.edu

MACON – Home-standing Mercer hit 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position to fuel a 6-2 setback in Saturday's opener, but belted a trio of home runs on the way to a series clinching 8-0 rout of visiting Bryant in the nightcap of the doubleheader at Sikes Field.

The Bears (12-13) logged a combined 16 hits across Saturday's twinbill, including five of the extra-base variety, to move to 12-5 at home this season. Bryant (8-13) snapped a seven-game skid with Saturday's early win, but has now dropped eight of its last nine outings nonetheless.

Avery Barton, Olivia Lenzen and Daniella Monaco all recorded a 4-for-5 days on Saturday, with Barton (2) and Monaco both tacking up home runs as well. Right-hander Grace McKillop (4-1), who made 46 appearances in two seasons (2024-25) at Bryant, yielded just one hit and struck out one across five solid innings of work in Saturday's win over her former team.

SUMMARY
GAME 1 FINAL	Bryant 6, Mercer 2
PITCHERS	WP: Maddy Wachter (3-3) LP: Grace Roark (2-5) Save: None

GAME 2 FINAL	Mercer 8, Bryant 0 (5 Innings)
PITCHERS	WP: Grace McKillop (4-1) LP: Brooke Tracy (2-5) Save: None

RECORDS	Mercer 12-13; Bryant 8-13

KEY INNINGS (GAME 1)
TOP 1	Arriana Williams drew a one-out walk and Bryce Clendenin followed with her second home run of the series to put Bryant ahead for good.
TOP 4	The Bulldogs tallied just one hit in the fourth, but capitalized on a pair of Mercer errors to plate four unearned runs. Bryant got RBI at-bats from both Lexi Powell (fielder's choice) and Laniya Lewis (single), while also successfully executing a double steal.

KEY INNINGS (GAME 2)
BOT 1	Bryant starter Brooke Tracy took down each of the first two Bears she faced, but Avery Barton clobbered an 0-and-1 offering deep over the centerfield wall in the third at-bat of the frame.
BOT 3	Daniella Monaco deposited a 3-ball offering from BU reliever Maddy Wachter over the right field wall, and Avery Barton followed with her second homer of the contest – this time a blast to deep left field.

MU LEADERS (GAME 1)	BU LEADERS (GAME 1)
Daniella Monaco 3-3, BB, R Olivia Lenzen 3-3 Avery Barton 2-3, BB Grace Jones 1-4, HR	Bryce Clendenin 1-3, BB, HR, 2 RBI Laniya Lewis 2-3, RBI Alissa West 1-2, R Brooke Tracy 1.1 IP, H, 0 R

MU LEADERS (GAME 2)	BU LEADERS (GAME 2)
Avery Barton 2-3, BB, 2 HR, 3 RBI Daniella Monaco 1-2, BB, HR, 2 R Olivia Lenzen 1-2, 2B, 2 RBI Grace McKillop 5.0 IP, H, K	Arriana Williams 1-1, BB, 2B Teagan Thompson 0-1, BB Jaiden McKenna 0-1, BB Carley Genzer 0-1, BB

UP NEXT
The Bears will open up defense of their 2025 Southern Conference championship next weekend, March 21-22, when they take on league nemesis Samford (9-19, 0-0 SoCon) in a three-game series at Sikes Field. The squads will open up the weekend with a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday, and close out the set with a single dip on Sunday at 1 p.m.

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SUPPORT THE BEARS
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