Bears Drop Both Ends Of Twinbill With East Tennessee State

Saturday, May 2

Macon, Ga.

4 p.m.

Mercer University

19-28, 7-12

East Tennessee State

20-27, 7-12

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
East Tennessee State	0	1	0	0	0	0	7	8	14	0
Mercer	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	3	1

Bears Drop Both Ends Of Twinbill With East Tennessee State

5/2/2026 10:05:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Todd Anderson, anderson_t02@mercer.edu

MACON – Visiting East Tennessee State pounded out a combined 22 hits and tacked up a trio of multi-run innings to key a series-opening doubleheader sweep of Mercer on Saturday afternoon at Sikes Field.

The Bucs (21-28, 8-12) scored seven runs on eight hits in the top of the seventh inning to fuel an 8-1 victory in Saturday's opener, and then scored three times in both the fourth and seventh innings to post a 7-3 win in the nightcap. Mercer (19-28, 7-13), in turn, finished with a combined 11 hits on the afternoon, but mustered just three safeties in the opener.

SUMMARY
GAME 1 FINAL	East Tennessee State 8, Mercer 1
PITCHERS	WP: Eden Muncy (4-6) LP: Grace Roark (4-10) Save: None

GAME 2 FINAL	East Tennessee State 7, Mercer 3
PITCHERS	WP: Marissa Barnes (3-4) LP: Grace Jones (4-6) Save: Gabby Fowler (2)

RECORDS	Mercer 19-28 (7-13 SoCon); East Tennessee State 21-28 (8-12 SoCon)

KEY INNINGS (GAME 1)
BOT 3	East Tennessee State opened the frame with four consecutive singles, including a RBI knock from Talya Stonebraker that plated the eventual game-winning score. Whitney Boone clubbed a 2-out bases-clearing double two batters later to put the Bucs out in front, 5-1, while Riley Croley and Taylor Suchy finished off the outburst with run-scoring hits of their own.

KEY INNINGS (GAME 2)
BOT 3	Mercer loaded the bases with its first four at-bats and took its first lead of the afternoon on Avery Barton's 2-out RBI single to shallow left field.
BOT 1	Payton Moore's RBI single culminated a 12-pitch at-bat and knotted the score back up. An untimely fielding error by the Bears put a pair of runners board for Riley Croley who laced a 2-out RBI single into right field to put the visitors up for good.

MU LEADERS (GAME 1)	ETSU LEADERS (GAME 1)
Grace Jones 1-2, BB, 2B, R Isabel Fernandez 1-3, RBI Rachel Sysum 1-3	Whitney Boone 3-3, BB, 2B, HR, 4 RBI Taylor Suchy 2-2, 3B, 2 RBI Abigail Taylor 2-3, R Eden Muncy 7.0 IP, ER, 2 K

MU LEADERS (GAME 2)	ETSU LEADERS (GAME 2)
Megan Loughren 3-4, 2 R Grace Jones 1-3, BB, 3B, 2 RBI Mariyah Sanchez 1-2, 2 BB, R Ashlyn Ullman 1-2, BB	Payton Moore 2-3, HBP, 2 RBI Whitney Boone 2-1, BB, RBI Hailey Porter 1-3, 2 R Riley Croley 1-3, 2 RBI

UP NEXT
Mercer will look to salvage the weekend when it takes on East Tennessee State in a 1 p.m. series finale on Sunday at Sikes Field. Sunday's first pitch will be preceded by Senior Day ceremonies as MU honors its Class of 2026 - Avery Barton and Katheryn Rearley.

STAY CONNECTED
Follow Mercer Softball on Twitter and Instagram and "Like" Mercer Softball on Facebook.

SUPPORT THE BEARS
Fans can help support the Mercer athletics department by making a gift to the Mercer Athletic Foundation. To find out more information about the Mercer Athletic Foundation email *maf@mercer.edu*.