Greenville, S.C. – Mercer's pitching staff tossed back-to-back shutouts and the Bears exploded for 16 runs in game two en route to a 2-0, 16-0 doubleheader sweep of Furman on Senior Day Saturday at Pepsi Stadium.
Game 1: Mercer 2, Furman 0
In the series opener, Mercer's Gabby Ellis and Grace Roark combined on a six-hit shutout to propel the Bears to a 2-0 victory.
Hallie Langford reached base on an error to start the game and scored on Tori Hedgecock's RBI ground out to open the scoring. Hedgecock increased the lead to 2-0 in the top of the fifth by driving in Langford with a double into the gap after the Bears' leadoff hitter reached on a single and stole second base.
Ellis limited to Furman to three hits while striking out four batters over the first three innings before giving way to Roark (5-4). The righthander tossed four innings of three-hit ball and fanned three without allowing a walk to earn the victory.
Furman outhit the Bears 6-5, but did not register a walk or an extra base hit in the opener.
Caitlin Goldwait and
Kate Stoltzfus led the Paladins with two hits apiece.
Starter
Angelina Ricciardi (6-10) took the loss after allowing an earned run on three hits over 4.1 innings of work. The sophomore walked two batters and struck out one. Senior
Isabella Cear provided 2.2 innings of shutout relief for the Paladins.
Game 2: Mercer 16, Furman 0
Mercer totaled 15 hits and took advantage of four Furman errors to plate 16 runs in a 16-0 game two victory.
Katheryn Rearley (5-2) hurled a complete-game, two-hit shutout to earn her fifth win of the season and fanned six batters without issuing a base on balls.
The Bears got all the offense they would need in the top of the third inning. Back-to-back singles from Langford and Sydney Harris opened the frame before the tandem advanced on a double steal. Hedgecock knocked in the first run while singles later in the inning from Hannah Rivers and Sietske Drijvers upped the margin to 3-0.
Laura Vigna began the fourth inning by reaching on an error and scored when Langford doubled to right field and the throw to the infield trickled away. After Hedgecock delivered an RBI single and Grace Jones walked,
Lily O'Bryan replaced Paladin starter
Emme Buzhardt in the circle. Hedgecock scored in a wild pitch and Rivers notched her second RBI base hit in as many innings to up the lead to 7-0.
Mercer exploded for nine runs against the Furman bullpen in the top of the fifth, highlighted by a two-run single from Hedgecock and grand slam off the bat of pinch hitter Taylor Rogers. The Bears (30-23, 10-9 SoCon) sent 12 batters to the plate in the inning and collected six hits.
Rogers and Hedgecock each drove in four runs in the nightcap while Langford, Harris, Rivers, and Drijvers recorded two hits apiece.
Buzhardt (6-13) took the loss for Furman after being tagged for seven runs, three earned, on eight hits in 3.1 innings in the circle. Stoltzfus and
Grayson Snead collected Furman's lone hits.
Sunday's series finale between the Paladins (15-36, 5-15 SoCon) and the Bears is slated for a 1:05 p.m. first pitch and will be streamed live on ESPN+.
