Greenville, S.C. – Mercer rallied from a two-run deficit to force extra innings and edged Furman, 4-3, in the rubber game of a three-game Southern Conference series Sunday afternoon at Pepsi Stadium.
 
Trailing 2-0 in the top of the seventh, Mercer's Kassidy Moore reached base on a pinch-hit single and scored on Alyssa Woods' double to left field. Emme Buzhardt reentered the game in the circle for Furman and got Rebeca Laudino to line out to second base but Parris Wiggs chopped a ball up the middle with two outs and beat the shortstop's throw to first as Woods raced home with the tying run. Back-to-back errors by Furman's middle infield allowed the go-ahead run to score and give the Bears a 3-2 lead.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, Ainsley Yoshizumi reached base on a one-out single off the glove of the second baseman and moved to second base when Ashlee Lykins reached base safely on an error. After a fielder's choice erased Yoshizumi at third base, Riley Ludlam lined a two-out single to center field to plate Lykins and send the game to extra innings.
 
Following a scoreless eighth inning, Wiggs singled up the middle to open the top of the ninth and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. With two outs, Tori Hedgecock singled up the middle to scores Wiggs and give Mercer (14-27, 5-4 SoCon) a 4-3 lead.
 
Yoshizumi was hit by the first pitch in the bottom of the ninth and Lykins followed with a bunt single to set the table for Furman, but Mercer got the lead runner out at third base on Goldwait's sacrifice attempt and the Bears' Grace Taylor retired Ludlam and Kiley Perry to retire the side.
 
Taylor (8-15) tossed nine innings and allowed just one earned run on eight hits en route to her second victory of the series. She walked two batters and notched one strikeout.
 
Wiggs finished the day 3-for-4 with a pair of runs and an RBI while Hedgecock reached base safely twice in five at bats.
 
Buzhardt (6-6) suffered the loss for Furman after allowing just one earned run on five hits over 5.2 innings in the circle. Sierra Tufts tossed 3.1 innings of relief, allowing two runs on three hits while fanning four.
 
Lykins, the Paladins' leadoff hitter, went 2-for-5 at the plate and Alex Rose Molinar added a double and an RBI in a 1-for-3 effort.
 
Furman (17-24, 7-4 SoCon) continues its homestand on Wednesday when it hosts Queens in a non-conference twinbill. First Pitch at Pepsi Stadium is set for 4 p.m. on ESPN+.