47 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(03/20/14 11:49pm)
The Mercer men’s lacrosse is off to a great start as they just won their second Atlantic Sun Conference game. Saturday the Bears faced Virginia Military Institute and came out on top 8-3 at Mercer University Stadium.
Sophomore goalie Mike Nugent had a stand out performance, allowing only three goals on 30 VMI shots while pairing his 16 stops with two ground balls. The three goals allowed is a new season-best for Nugent against conference opponents. His 84.2 save percentage also marks a new season-best for a single game.
“Mike Nugent has been awesome in cage this year for us,” said freshman defenseman Colin Massa.
Sophomore Chris Baxa led the team in points in the contest with two goals and an assist while senior Zack Ward also had a multigoal performance with two scores. Senior Cole Branch, junior Timmy Geran, senior Eoin Collins and sophomore Anssi Kaisalmi each scored a goal in the contest as well.
“The cool thing about this year is we have a lot of people contributing and making plays,” said Massa, “ I think where we are at our best is when we are all playing together.”
Along with Nugent, the Bears have had other impressive defensive performances this season contributing to the team’s success. Colin Massa and sophomore midfielder Clay Rivers have led the defense, keeping opponents from generating much offense.
“Massa on the defensive end has been shutting down each team’s best attackman each week,” said Baxa, “Clay Rivers has been a huge surprise playing on the best midfielder each game too.”
Mercer’s next matchup is against another competitive A-Sun team next weekend. High Point is 2-0 in conference as well, but Mercer is confident they can come out with the win as previous wins have no effect on present games.
“I don’t think that speculating and trying to read into scores has any impact on what we need to do. There is so many factors that go into every game that makes it so unique. I think we just need to focus on us versus High Point and not speculate what scores versus common opponents means,” said Massa.
The Bears return to action in the start of a five-game road swing at High Point on March 22. Game time against the Panthers is scheduled for 1 p.m.
(03/20/14 7:41pm)
For the first time since 1985, the Mercer men’s basketball team won the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship, and will compete in the NCAA Tournament as the 14th seed in the Midwest Region. As announced by the tournament selection committee on Sunday, Mercer will face-off against the three-seed Duke, in Raleigh, N.C., at PNC Arena Friday at 12:15 p.m.
“Everybody is excited to play in the tournament and against a storied program like Duke, but we are focused and ready to play,” said senior point guard Langston Hall.
In a 68-60 victory over Florida Gulf Coast on March 9 in the A-Sun tournament final, Mercer captured the automatic qualifier bid.
“It’s been a long time coming for us,” said senior forward Jake Gollon, “Making it to the NCAA tournament has been a goal of ours since the beginning, so to see the hard work finally pay off, it is really gratifying.”
Mercer imposed revenge on the same FGCU team that had eliminated the Bears from winning the A-Sun title for the past two seasons. Langston Hall was named tournament MVP, while Gollon and senior guard Anthony White Jr. earned all tournament team selections.
Just a few days following the tournament victory, Hall added another postseason award to his resume as the point guard was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division I All-District three first team.
Hall’s recognition adds to his hardware collection that includes A-Sun Player of the Year, A-Sun All-Conference first team and A-Sun All-Tournament team, and A-Sun Tournament MVP honors.
The 2013-14 season has been one of many milestones for Hall, who broke the A-Sun conference record for career assists on March 6 and scored his 1,500th point on Feb. 27. As a senior, Hall has scored 20 or more points 11 times and registered 10 or more assists on four occasions.
Selection Sunday was an exciting day for the team and all Mercer fans as no one was quite sure as to who they would play.
“We knew that we would probably be a 13-15 seed, so we had an idea of the caliber of team we might play, but there was no real way of knowing,” said Gollon. “Coach Hoffman, though, predicted it to be Duke in Raleigh long before it was announced.”
Although Duke is a very high ranked team, the Bears are approaching the game the same way mentally and physically as they would any other contest.
“We are preparing the exact same way we do for any other game,” said Hall. “We are not in awe of Duke just because of their name. We just are going to go out there and play our game.”
Gollon also commented on their preparation.
“We won’t prepare any differently for Duke than we would any other game. They are a very good team, but we’ve played good teams in the past and we always prepare the same. We have to continue to be confident in our abilities and play ball the way that we know how.”
The 12:15 p.m. tip-off will be nationally broadcast on CBS.
Click here for more photos from the A-Sun championship game and Selection Sunday.
(02/21/14 2:33am)
In the Florida State Matchup that took place last weekend, the Mercer women’s golf team took sixth place while seniors Lacey Fears and Mary Alice Murphy each tied for 10th place individually.
“I think that the first tournament went well. It was a strong field and we played well as well as learned what to perfect by our next tournament in Miami,” said Murphy.
Fears also commented on the tournament, “We could have played a little better but we will still move up a good bit in the national rankings.”
Along with Murphy on day one of the tournament, freshmen Katy Harris and Haley Austin all ended the first round two-over par. Their efforts helped the Bears to a tie for fifth with University of Virginia. Overall, the team shot 298.
On day two of the tournament, Fears fired a one-over 73 placing the Bears in sixth at the end of the second round.
Freshman Marin Hanna made improvements to her first round by carding a six-over 78 while Murphy finished with a three-over 75. Austin and Harris both scored 77 and 79 for round two respectively.
To finish the tournament on day three, Mercer posted a final round of 303 to close the tournament at 601. The Bears were one stroke behind Texas A&M for fifth place, while South Carolina captured the tournament title with a score of 586.
Fears finished shooting 73 while Murphy posted a 75.
Murphy commented that she would like to continue striking the ball well so that she can score lower leading into conference play, but the main goal for the season is to help the team.
“The big goal is to place at conference and help the team move forward to regionals,” said Murphy.
Austin tied for 23rd place overall while Harris tied for 32nd.
Hanna made a four-shot improvement in her last round of play which tied her for 52nd place.
The Bears’ next match will be held at the Biltmore Golf Course in Coral Gables, Fla. on Mar. 3 in Miami’s Hurricane Invitational.
(02/09/14 9:09pm)
The Mercer men’s lacrosse team has worked hard this preseason in hopes to have a successful year. Three players picked up Atlantic Sun Preseason All-Conference selections, and the team was selected to place third among the six A-Sun teams.
Jacksonville was picked to win the league while High Point came in second. Although the team was selected to finish third, that doesn’t change the team’s aspirations of winning the conference championship.
“We were beating both Jacksonville and High Point in the fourth quarter when we played these teams last year. In both games, we let them slip away and ended up losing. There is no way that will happen again with this team’s drive and determination,” said senior Harry Baker.
Senior Cole Branch, junior Justin Evans, and sophomore Chris Baxa were the three players that earned A-Sun preseason honors.
Branch was one of four midfielders selected to the preseason team after racking up 26 points last season on the strength of 15 goals. Branch enters the final year of his career as Mercer’s all-time leader in career points (76), goals (54), assists (22), shots attempted (182), shots on goal (117) and man-up goals (11).
Evans earned his spot on the preseason team after ranking fifth nationally with 8.0 ground balls per game and 17th among Division I players with a 0.561 face-off win percentage in 2013. Evans boasts a program-best 196 ground balls for an average of 7.84 ground balls per game.
Baxa is one of three attackers on the preseason team after having a standout freshman campaign a year ago. The Owings, Md. native finished the 2013 season ranked 10th in the country at 2.75 goals per game, equaling Stony Brook’s Brody Eastwood for the best average among Division I freshmen. His team-leading 43 points in 12 games played also slotted him 30th nationally in points per game.
The team is confident that they have not only the talent, but the work ethic and determination to have a winning season. The hard work was not just executed on the field but also in the weight room and with Coach Kyle Hannan analyzing film.
“Our offseason workouts were the best we’ve ever had. Between being in the weight room with Coach Shelton Stevens, individual workouts with the coaching staff and full team practices, I think we have definitely prepared ourselves to have a very successful season,” said Baker.
This past weekend, Mercer competed in two scrimmages against Florida Tech and the University of Tampa. The Bears came out on top against Florida Tech, but were unable to defeat Tampa.
“Tampa was a high energy, vocal and talented team. They came out fired up and we had to respond. It wasn’t the best showing from our team but we know now what we need to do to come out prepared against Boston,” said Baker.
Although the Bears have been working hard in preparation for their first game against Boston, there are still some elements of their game that needs to be adjusted.
“After watching film many times, we have to fix the little things before we play Boston. It’s all fixable and will be taken care of,” said Baxa.
Junior Timmy Geran commented on some of the changes that can be made.
“Offensively we definitely could have possessed the ball more and shot a lot better than we did.”
According to Baxa, the team will approach this season one game at a time. Overall success is what the team is striving for, but the Bears still have their eyes set on one significant accomplishment: winning the A-Sun Conference Championship.
“First and foremost we want to win the conference championship. But that starts by consistently getting better throughout the season. We strive to get two percent better everyday so we can continually improve, and of course win more games to finish strong for us seniors.”
(01/23/14 3:48am)
Preseason training for the Mercer baseball team has begun, and the team is determined to have yet another successful season. The season kicks off on Friday, Feb. 14 as the Black and Orange host High Point University at Claude Smith Field.
A fter a disappointing loss in the NCA A tournament to Central Arkansas to end the 2013 season, the Bears have been training diligently and are coming back with a strong veteran team in hopes to win the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship and make a postseason run.
“To prepare for the season ahead, the team has worked hard in the weight room and on the field. We realize that we could have a great team and a great season so each of us strives to be the best we can be,” said junior third baseman, Chesny Young.
The team’s rigorous offseason training schedule included lifting three days a week, 6 a.m. conditioning, as well as a five-week team practice schedule that was highlighted by three weekend intersquad games at the end of each week.
Four players were named to the Atlantic Sun All Conference team in 2013 and will be returning this season to compete. Joining Young, senior outfielder Derrick Workman, senior designated hitter Nick Backlund and junior relief pitcher Dimitri Kourtis were all voted to the team for their outstanding performances in 2013 and are expected to contribute significantly this season as well.
Workman has had a large impact on the team for the past three seasons, and is expected to finish his collegiate baseball career breaking the all-time Mercer career record of 264 hits set by Tim Smith in 1980-1983. He is just 44 hits shy of this feat.
When asked about the possibility of breaking this record, Workman said he was unaware that he was even close to this accomplishment. He also went on to say that he simply plays for the team, and that records aren’t something that he chases.
“I try to give my all for the guy next to me. One pitch at a time, one inning at a time, one game at a time. I’ll continue this approach for our upcoming season and I’ll give this school and our team everything I have,” said Workman.
Workman finished last season ranked in the top-10 in the A-Sun in almost every statistical category including on-base percentage, slugging percentage, walks, total bases, RBI and doubles. He was also voted onto the A-Sun All Conference team for his remarkable efforts on the field and in the classroom.
Finishing last season with a .401 batting average, Young led the A-Sun Conference and finished sixth in the nation as well as becoming the sixth player in Mercer program history to hit over .400 in a single season. Young has already been named a Louisville Slugger Preseason Third Team All-American as well as a National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Preseason Third Team All-American. He is currently riding a 30-game hitting streak which is just 11 games shy of breaking into the top-10 longest hitting streaks in NCAA Division I history.
Young has proven to be one of the top players in all of college baseball, and his teammates are confident that his success will have a tremendous effect on the outcome of this season.
“[Young] is the guy we want up in the most pressure packed and clutch game situations. His numbers and body of work speaks for itself,” said Workman.
After already being named a National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Preseason First Team All-American, Backlund has proven to be one of the most consistent and threatening slugger in the nation. The San Jose, Calif. native finished the 2013 season hitting .326 while leading the A-Sun with a .579 slugging percentage, 22 doubles, 13 home runs and 68 RBI.
“[Backlund] is one of the most powerful and potent hitters at our level in the game right now. Without him and Chesny [Young], our team would not be what it is today,” said Workman.
Although this year’s squad has quite a few talented hitters on the roster, the unexpected loss of senior pitcher DJ Johnson due to ineligibility this season is going to put pressure on some of the younger pitchers. Senior outfielder Sasha LaGarde says that the team is certain they can depend on Kourtis along with senior Brandon Barker, but other experienced junior pitchers will need to step up and perform well for the team to be successful.
Last season, Kourtis was featured primarily as the Bears’ closer and developed into one of the most dominant and efficient relievers in the A-Sun while Barker tied for first in the A-Sun with 17 games started and a 7-2 record. Barker was also named to the A-Sun All Conference second team.
Other notable players on the roster this season include LaGarde, senior second baseman Michael Massi, senior catcher Austin Barrett, and senior outfielder Nate Moorhouse.
LaGarde, a Montreal native, led the A-Sun last season with 68 runs while Massi tied for second in the A-Sun with 21 stolen bases. Barrett’s ability to excel in various positions will help the team while Moorhouse, according to LaGarde, “will definitely be an impact player as he brings a great package of speed and athleticism.”
The Bears will host 30 home games along with playing in 18 contests against teams that finished last season ranked in the RPI top 100, including a weekend series at Auburn and a mid-week trip to Gainesville to take on Florida University.
“Our number one goal is to defend our A-Sun championship. Not only do we want to make the NCAA tournament again, but we want to do some damage,” said Workman. “We know what we are capable of and we want to be nothing short of remarkable.”
(11/10/13 3:09am)
The Mercer women’s basketball season is underway as the Bears competed in an exhibition game against Northwood on Thursday, Oct. 31, in Hawkins Arena. Junior Briana Williams was one of five players in double figures for the team, leading to the 108-61 win.
After missing an entire season due to an ACL injury last year, Williams has been more than ready to get back on the court.
“I've been watching from the sideline for a season and learning. Now I just want to contribute to that same success the team had last year,” said Williams.
Williams also admitted that she was nervous going into the game.
“I was definitely nervous that I was going to be rusty and just nervous in general; I had butterflies. But after a few times up and down it felt like old times, I felt at home.”
Williams proved to herself and her team that she was far from rusty. Along with her game-high 28 points scored on Thursday night, Williams shot 10-of-15 from the field, 3-of-5 from beyond the arc and added seven assists in her first game action since Feb. 25, 2012.
In the 2012 season, Williams was named Atlantic Sun Player of the Week on two different occasions. She also led the A-Sun and was ranked 46th in the nation with an impressive 17.5 points per game scoring average. Having Williams back on the court this season will help the Bears be an even more offensive threat.
In the 2013 season, the Bears finished with a winning conference record of 13-5 and lost in the semifinals of the A-Sun Conference Championship. This performance was a turnaround from the previous 2012 season, but the Bears have made it clear through their offseason workouts and practices that they will not settle for anything less than a championship win.
“Throughout the offseason, we’ve been competing aggressively. Now were just taking one day at a time and working hard and giving it all we have,” said junior Precious Bridges. “This year expectation for the team is to stay together and always have each other’s backs. With that, we really want to win the A-Sun Championship.”
Along with Williams, junior Precious Bridges will also play a large role on this year’s squad. Last season, she won the A-Sun scoring title by averaging 16.8 points per game.
Bridges explained that she thinks that the team has really great chemistry this season that should help guide them to success.
“We went to Ghana for three weeks and that helped us get to know each other more not just on the court but also off the court. One expectation this year is for the team to stay together and always have each other’s back,” said Bridges.
This season, the Bears will host 14 home games along with match-ups against SEC and Big Ten members, Georgia and Wisconsin. They will start up regular season play on Friday, Nov. 8, against Western Carolina in Hawkins arena. Game time is set for 5 p.m.
(10/26/13 3:33am)
The Mercer men’s and women’s cross country teams took fourth place overall in the Front Runner Invitational on Saturday. The race was hosted by the University of Tennessee Chattanooga at Moccasin Bend in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Sony Prosper led the men’s team in the 5000 meter run. He posted a 15:36.28 finish for 17th place. Junior teammate Davis Trexler followed Prosper closely, finishing in 18th place with a 15:36.78 time. The third Bear to finish in the top-25 was senior Kasib Abdullah. He posted a 15:57.99 finish time for 22nd place.
Prosper explains that he is proud of how his team has continued to push through tough races against good schools this season.
"The team is gradually progressing beautifully. We are blazing our workouts. Our last race was a 5k instead of an 8k this past week at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga. In the 5k race, we set a new school record as a team. We're now looking forward to conference in two weeks," said Prosper.
He continues, saying that good finishes such as this will be a positive going into the conference championship next weekend.
"My expectations going into conference championships are to continue having the team run as a solid pack. We can do some damage that way and it will help all of us run faster. I am looking for us to continue turning heads because we always seem to be the underdogs," said Prosper.
The Women’s team was led on the two mile run by freshman Linda Wrede for the fifth consecutive meet. Wrede posted an 11:30.04 time, finishing in 7th place. Sophomore Kami Orrender followed not too far behind her and finished in ninth place with an 11:36.89 time. Senior Lena Hamvas finished in 12th place, making her the third Bear to post a top-15 finish with a time of 11:41.49.
Both teams will then return to action on Saturday, Oct. 26, at the Atlantic Sun Conference Championships in Nashville, Tenn.
(10/13/13 11:39pm)
The Mercer University Men’s Lacrosse preseason is officially underway, as the team has begun off-season practices of lifting and conditioning.
Second-year head coach Kyle Hannan says he has been very impressed with practices so far.
“All of the things you’re looking for as a coach I think is a notch ahead of where we were last year,” said Hannan.
With a new coaching staff coming in last year, the program has been going through many changes. This season, the team has a completely new look, with the addition of 23 new freshmen. Hannan said that this was a concern for him coming into this season, but the upperclassmen have done a great job of leading the team and helping the freshmen adjust to the quicker and more physical play.
“I am so proud of the way that the upperclassmen have handled this. They have taken the new guys in and provided very good leadership. They’re letting the freshmen know the type of culture that we’re trying to create here. They’re keeping the energy level up and helping them through tough situations. It’s been very positive,” said Hannan.
Out of all of the freshmen, Hannan said that it is difficult to pick out one player in particular that has impressed him so far. According to Hannan, they’ve all worked hard on and off the field and are adjusting well to being collegiate student athletes. He does comment, however, that the defensive group of recruits are really going to play a large role in the success of the team this season.
“The defensive end is the most significant change. That’s where we brought in the strength of our recruiting class. We’re bringing in guys that are probably going to have a quicker impact on how we play at that end of the field,” said Hannan.
Hannan also stated that freshmen Chris Rahill and Kevin Yoggy have worked their way up the depth chart offensively, and are going to be exceptional players with much potential. Rahill commented saying that it’s been difficult adjusting to the faster-paced play, but the upperclassmen have really made it easier to come in as a freshman.
“The game speed has for sure been a big change for me, but I'm starting to get used to it,” said Rahill. “The upperclassmen really have done a great job welcoming our large freshman class and making us feel like part of a family from the start. It's that kind of leadership from your juniors and seniors that can make a good program a great one, and they have definitely done a fantastic job with that.”
Sunday, Sept. 29, the Bears hosted two scrimmages against Birmingham Southern and Sewanee, where they came out with a stellar performance. Mercer won both scrimmages with an impressive combined score of 42-4.
Junior Timmy Geran was a standout player Sunday. He said that he was happy with how the team played overall, but there is still much room for improvement.
“It was nice to see some of the freshman step up and it was nice seeing all the work that returners put in this summer show up on the field. The main problem with the scrimmages was that we had way too many turnovers. But they were dumb mistakes which are very fixable. We will see how we do with that this weekend when we play two more scrimmages in Jacksonville,” said Geran.
The Bears are on the road this weekend as they play two more preseason scrimmages against Tampa and Florida Tech. in Jacksonville, Fla.
(08/28/13 9:00pm)
The Mercer University men’s basketball team recently embarked upon a trip to Europe to compete against professional and national teams as well as do service work with younger children.
The team left the United States on Friday, Aug. 9 and returned on Monday, Aug. 19. During their 10-day excursion, the Bears competed in five games and worked at three different basketball clinics for children.
“We have the opportunity every four years by NCAA rules to go on a foreign tour, and we wanted to combine that with a mission/service trip,” said men’s basketball head coach Bob Hoffman. “It was a great learning and educational experience.”
Most of the trip was spent in Lithuania, but the team was able to spend time and site-see in Frankfurt, Germany as well.
Although the teams that the Bears competed against were very skilled and experienced, Mercer was able to still earn some wins. The Bears went 2-3 with the professional and national teams. Hoffman explained that all of the games were great games, with exception to the game against the Latvia National team.
“They beat us pretty bad, but they’re playing in the world championship in a couple of weeks, so they’re a really good team.”
During the day when the team wasn’t playing games, players helped teach orphans and other young children to play the game of basketball as well as hang out and encourage them.
Throughout the trip, the players were able to really bond on their own, as well.
“We did team building to try and get stronger, not only as individuals, but in every aspect of our lives.”
(08/28/13 9:00pm)
After a year of hard work and practice, redshirt freshman John Russ is more than ready for this season to start. Russ has recently earned the position of starting quarterback not only by his performance on the field, but by also serving as a leader to his teammates. He has high expectations this season but knows whatever goals are set won’t come easy. Russ sat down with The Cluster to talk more about his football career.
Cluster: Where are you from?
Russ: Buford, GA
C: When did you start playing sports?
R: I started playing football when I was seven.
C: Why did you start playing football?
R: My brother is four years older than me and he started playing football first, so I wanted to be like my big brother.
C: Were you always a quarterback?
R: No, I was a center my first year. After that I became a quarterback.
C: What is your favorite NFL team?
R: Pittsburgh Steelers
C: What players do you admire?
R: Drew Brees from the New Orleans Saints. He’s kind of short like me, so I measure myself up to him. I also like Aaron Rodgers. They’re both great quarterbacks.
C: How would you describe yourself as a player?
R: They call me a gunslinger. I’m pretty quick and like to run the ball a little bit. I like to be smart with ball too and not make any turnovers or throw any picks. That’s my job. It’s more than just throwing touchdowns. If I don’t turnover the ball, we have a chance to win every game. I try to be accurate with my passes, run a little bit too, and be a “gunslinger.” That’s just me.
C: What is your greatest memory in football?
R: My junior year in high school, we went to the elite eight in the playoffs and we beat Etowah and South Gwinnett in the first two playoff games that we played. I had good games against them so it was a good time.
C: And your worst?
R: Going right back to my junior year in the playoffs, we lost the third game to Colquitt County. We lost 27-14. I had a bad game. I felt like I left my team out there and that I messed it up for them.
C: Describe your perfect pregame meal.
R: I could go with a burger, maybe some pizza, mac and cheese, maybe some bread with that. Anything really. It’s not really healthy at all. It’s a terrible pregame meal but hey, I’ll eat it.
C: What do you do to prepare for each game, physically and mentally?
R: I watch a lot of film. I try to be really crisp in practice. Before games I listen to music and try to calm down and relax. For a quarterback you can’t get too excited. You have to stay mellow the entire game. Make sure you’re doing it right every single play.
C: Once you’re done playing Division I football, what do you plan on doing?
R: I plan on doing whatever I end up focusing on in my business major. Maybe accounting or finance. I’d like to go to grad school too and maybe be a grad assistant for the football team.
C: Do you think that football will always be apart of your life?
R: I think that I will always be around football just because I love the sport so much. Even if it’s not my job, I’ll help out with my kids, maybe help out with the high school team every now and then. I just think it’d be fun to do that.
C: What are your expectations for this season?
R: My expectations are for us to just be competitive in every single game, to work hard, and to have fun. We’re going to make mistakes out there, but as long as we’re competitive in every game we play, I think we’ll have a good season.
Russ and his fellow teammates with compete in the Bears’ first game in 72 years on Saturday at the Tony and Nancy Moye Football and Lacrosse Complex. Game time is set for 6:00 p.m.
(08/14/13 6:45pm)
[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="495"] Photo Credit: Mercer Athletics[/caption]
On Wednesday, July 31, the Mercer football team reported for preseason camp for the first time in 70 years. After a full year of practice and no competition, the Bears are looking forward to their first game on Aug. 31.
“There’s a sense of excitement and urgency on both sides, coaches and players, to get to this game because it’s a pretty long year of just practice,” said Mercer football head coach Bobby Lamb.
Lamb also explained that he is impressed with the players coming back from last year and how they’ve developed as leaders on the field.
“Even though they’re redshirt freshmen, we call them upperclassmen. They’ve been through our program for over a year, and I’m starting to sense that we do have leaders in the group,” said Lamb.
This season, the Bears will be competing in the 12-team Pioneer Football League. In the 2013 Preseason Coaches’ Poll, the Mercer football team was picked to finish 11th, one spot ahead of Stetson, another start-up program, and just 12 points behind Valparaiso for the No. 10 spot.
Although wins are important to this competitive squad, Lamb explained that the wins and losses aren’t the main focus this season. With a team full of freshmen and sophomores, Lamb realizes that it is going to be very difficult to match up against other teams with more experienced players, but that will not prevent them from having what he considers a successful season.
“This year is a foundation year,” said Lamb. “We’re going to develop a foundation that we can build on for years to come. The wins are going to come down the road once we get the foundation established.”
Fans as well as players are eager for the season to start. Season tickets sales eclipsed 5,000 and single game tickets sold out in 27 minutes for the Bears season-opener.
Many fans came out to the Meet the Bears event held on Aug. 2 in front of the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. Macon residents and Mercer University students could meet and get autographs from the members of the football team and Coach Lamb.
Eight-year-old Sam Whitely said that he is so excited about the season, that he and his brother attended a practice.
“It was really fun,” said Sam. “It was like a mini game.”
The Bears play their first game against Reinhardt on Aug. 31 at 6 p.m. at the Moye Family Football Complex.
— Editor Emily Farlow contributed to this report.
Mercer's football scrimmage Watch the video now!
(04/25/13 6:29pm)
Left battling for one of six spots in A-Sun Tournament
In a disappointing weekend at home on Sikes Field, the Mercer softball team fell to Lipscomb in three straight match-ups, 8-0, 10-6 and 3-1, damaging the Bears’ postseason chances.
On Saturday, Junior Randi Rea and freshman Natalie Shiver each had a pair of RBI in the second game while on Sunday, senior Sara Santana registered the lone RBI, bringing junior McKenzie Woody to home from third.
While senior Kerri Nidiffer pitched a scoreless first two innings, the Lady Bison did as well as Mercer was unable to get a run off of Lipscomb pitcher, Heather Parker.
In the top of the third, the Bison struck with the first run of the game, and then again in the fifth off of a grand slam, giving Lipscomb a five run lead. Another Bison RBI extended their lead to six going into the sixth inning.
The Lady Bison registered two more runs while the Black and Orange were unable to make it to home plate one time in the contest.
In game two, Rea lifted a two-RBI base hit to center field in the first inning. Sophomore Rachel Hugghins also registered an RBI, giving the Bears a 3-0 lead.
Junior pitcher Julia Rice cruised through the first five innings holding Mercer’s lead at 3-0 until Lipscomb put up eight runs at the top of the sixth.
In the seventh, the Bears continued to struggle to hold the Lady Bison, allowing them two more runs.
Mercer finally got a rally going as Santana stroked a triple to right field, followed by junior Krista Kennedy with an RBI single. Two batters later, Shiver delivered a two-out, two-RBI double to right field to cut the deficit to four.
Sophomore Molly Garmany was unable to keep the Bears in the game and batted out, giving Lipscomb the win.
On Sunday, the Bears watched a one-run lead slip away on Senior Day as Mercer eventually fell in the series finale against Lipscomb.
Three seniors were honored prior the game. Nidiffer, Santana and Kelly Redlinger all played in their final regular season Atlantic Sun home game.
In the first inning, Santana gave the Bears the early lead. She connected with a sacrifice fly bringing Woody into home.
Nidiffer pitched a strong four innings until Lipscomb was able to connect with a pitch. Lady Bison’s Paige Neely continued her hot bat in the series with an RBI single up the middle to score the tying run.
Despite her best efforts, Nidiffer could not hold Lipscomb in the sixth, allowing two more runs. The Lady Bison utilized a timely triple down the left field line off the bat of Bree Thurman to plate the go-ahead run a batter later when Brittany Elmore drove in Thurman with an RBI single. Lipscomb scored the third and final run off a well-executed double steal.
Junior McKenzie Woody accounted for three of the Bears’ four hits in the game as she finished going 3-for-4 at the dish.
Mercer alongside Jacksonville and Stetson are all separated by just one game for the sixth and final spot heading into the final weekend of regular season play.
Mercer finishes out its non-conference and home portion of its schedule this Wednesday as Savannah State heads to Sikes Field for a game beginning at 3 p.m.
(04/25/13 5:38pm)
In their arguably most impressive performance this season, the Mercer men’s lacrosse team ended their five-game losing streak with a 16-8 dominating win over Virginia Military Institute on Sunday, April 14 in Lexington, Va. Junior Zack Ward and freshman Chris Baxa each had five points in the victory.
After Baxa opened the afternoon’s scoring at the 7:08 juncture of the first quarter, the Bears continued to hold the lead for the rest of the contest. Junior Keoni Rausch and Ward each added a goal in the first quarter to give the Black and Orange a 3-1 lead in the opening 15 minutes.
The Bears proceeded to run an explosive offense in the second quarter, finding the goal six more times on 17 shots to take a commanding lead at halftime, 9-2.
To open up the second half, the Keydets began to fight back with three-straight goals, but the Bears responded with three straight goals in the final 5:25 of the third quarter to withstand the comeback.
With a score of 12-6 going into the fourth quarter, the Bears continued to press offensively to secure the win. Mercer put up four more goals while holding VMI to only two.
Baxa’s four goals pushed his season total to 31 and established a new program single-season record. His 31 goals surpassed the previous standard of 27, held by current junior Cole Branch in 2011.
Ward also registered four goals and an assist on Sunday, marking his second-straight game with five points. As a team, the Bears’ 27 points, 16 goals, 11 assists, 53 shots and 30 shots on goal are all season highs.
Juniors Harry Baker and Cole Branch each registered two goals in the win while junior John Avent and sophomore Tyler Schott each tallied one.
Freshman goalie Mike Nugent made 14 saves to capture his fourth win of the season.
The Bears will conclude their season at home against Jacksonville on April 27. Game time at the Moye Lacrosse Complex is scheduled for 1 p.m.
(04/25/13 5:37pm)
On Saturday, May 11, former men’s soccer player Will Betts will be graduating from the Stetson School of Business and Economics with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, but that is not all he will be taking away from Mercer.
Successful would be an understatement in describing Betts’ career as a student-athlete at Mercer. Not only has Betts appeared in every game since his freshman year, he also contributed to the team with four goals in the 2012 season, making him the second leading scorer for the Bears. This is something that not many collegiate athletes achieve, and those are only a few of his accomplishments.
Just recently, Betts was announced as “Student-Athlete of the Year,” an award given by Mercer’s athletic director based on performance in the classroom and athletic competition, along with overall work ethic, attitude and character.
To continue his long list of accomplishments, Betts was also named to the 2012 Academic All-American Team and the 2012 National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Scholar All-South Region squad. With an overall 3.98 cumulative GPA, the Brenham, Texas native has proven to be one of the most diligent students at the university, but he explains that the lessons he learned while being at Mercer are far greater than anything that he was taught in the classroom.
“I will always remember the greatness that can be accomplished through chemistry and teamwork. I have learned to cherish the friendships and bonds that can be formed from working together toward a common goal,” said Betts.
Betts said that these friendships and bonds that he created on the field with his teammates are something that he’s going to miss once he leaves Mercer, along with the competition in practice, but especially in games.
“Competing to represent this great university that has meant so much to me with my best friends has been one of the greatest experiences of my life,” said Betts.
Although he will always have the fond the memories of being a college athlete, Betts admits that there are many parts about being a student-athlete that he is looking forward to getting away from. After always being on a set schedule formed by his classes and soccer coach, Betts said that he is ready to work on his own time, especially if it allows him more time to play video games with his roommates.
“As nerdy as it sounds, I love video games. My roommates and I spend countless hours playing Call of Duty, Tiger Woods and NHL,” said Betts.
Upon graduation, Betts plans on continuing his studies at graduate school to earn a Juris Doctorate along with a Masters of Business Administration. He is still unsure of which school he will be attending, but Duke, University of Georgia and Southern Methodist University are what he’s narrowed his decision down to.
Betts hopes to one day be a successful lawyer, but no matter what success he has in his professional career, soccer will always play a huge role in his life.
“I will always be involved with soccer. From intramurals in graduate school to playing in adult leagues and coaching my children, it will always be a passion that I will carry with me.”
(04/10/13 2:35pm)
Mercer junior attackman Zack Ward had an impressive game on Saturday, netting four goals on six shots as the men’s lacrosse team dropped a 15-9 decision to Air Force at the Moye Lacrosse Complex.
A week before the Air Force match-up, the Bears dropped another close one to first-year program High Point University. Freshman goalie Mike Nugent tied a program single-game record with 18 saves, but his efforts weren’t enough to stop HPU from earning a 12-10 comeback win over Mercer on Saturday, March 31.
Sophomore midfielder Timmy Geran got the Bears off to a quick start, netting a pair of goals in the opening 5:13 of play to help Mercer take an early 2-0 advantage.
Shortly after a High Point goal, freshman attackman Chris Baxa found the back of the net off of an assist from junior Cole Branch, giving Mercer the lead 3-1.
In the second quarter, the Bears put three straight on the board. The Panthers responded by going on a 6-1 run, putting High Point up 8-7. Mercer responded, however, with a goal from Branch and freshman Clay Rivers with 11:07 remaining in the third quarter. Rivers’ goal marked his first goal of his collegiate career.
At the start of the final quarter, the teams were deadlocked at 10-10. High Point put two more on the board to make the score 12-10 with 5:45 remaining in the game. Mercer posted three more shots before the final whistle, but couldn’t convert any of the attempts.
Mercer’s most recent game against Air Force was Mercer’s fifth-straight loss and dropped the team to 3-7 on the season.
“The game was a tough loss for us as a team. We made some fundamental mistakes that might have cost us the game, but we know the mistakes that we made are fixable,” said Ward.
Air Force started the game off with the first four goals. It wasn’t until the 8:17 juncture of the second quarter that Ward registered his first goal. Less than two minutes later, Ward added another one to the board.
Baxa found the net with 2:20 to go before halftime to cut the Bears’ deficit to two, 5-3.
With 5:47 left to play in the third quarter, Air Force took the lead 10-4 after posting five of the game’s next six goals.
The teams played an even 5-5 mark before the game’s final whistle.
Despite the loss, several Bears stood out with exceptional play in the competition. Ward finished the afternoon with five points from four goals and one assist while Baxa netted two goals and Branch had one goal and one assist himself.
Nugent posted an impressive 16 saves in the losing effort.
“We are going to work hard on improving our game for the next three weeks in practice,” said Ward. “The final step is to finish the season off with two wins.”
The Bears return to action in their final road game of the regular season at VMI on April 14. Game time is scheduled for 12 p.m.
(04/10/13 2:21pm)
The Mercer softball team went 1-2 this weekend at home against Florida Gulf Coast. In Saturday’s double-header, the Bears earned a split with the Eagles, but on Sunday, Mercer was unable to overcome a nine-run fifth inning, giving FGCU the 15-7 win at Sikes Field.
In the first game on Saturday, the Bears were able to end a five-game skid in heroic fashion, scoring six runs over the final three innings to take a 7-6 win. FGCU responded in game two with 14 hits and 12 runs to take a 12-5 win.
Heading into the seventh inning of game one, the Bears were able to plate all three of the winning runs with two outs in the inning. After junior McKenzie Woody and freshman Kaytlin Haney each grounded out, senior Sarah Santana began the Bears’ rally in emphatic fashion. Santana took a 1-0 pitch and hit it deep to left center for her fifth homerun of the season.
Following the homerun, the Bears had the bases loaded after three consecutive walks and two pitching changes. Sophomore Molly Garmany fought off several pitches and worked the count 2-2. The next pitch Garmany was able to get a hold of and lined a single down the left field line that scored both Krista Kennedy and Ashton Holt.
Freshman Natalie Shiver blasted her first career homerun to right center, a two-run shot that scored Garmany in the process. Shiver’s breakout performance also went 3-for-3 with a pair of singles and the homerun.
Junior Randi Rea connected for her tenth homerun, a solo shot to lead off the second inning.
Junior Julia Rice picked up her 12th win allowing nine hits and six earned runs in her 12th complete game of the season. Rice leads the team in wins. In game two of the day, Woody led things off as she has become accustomed to doing with a single in the bottom of the first. A sacrifice bunt and a wild pitch put Woody into scoring position and a Sarah Santana single to left center put the Bears up quickly, 1-0. Three batters later and with two runners on, Randi Rea launched her team-leading 11th homerun of the season and second of the day to give the Bears a commanding 4-0 lead after one.
The lead didn’t last for long, however. FGCU scored nine runs off five hits, including back-to-back homeruns in their half of the second. A FGCU grand slam quickly evened the score at 4-4 and was followed by a solo shot off Nidiffer to give the Eagles the lead which the Bears could not renounce the rest of the game.
Junior Kristen Bretscher subbed in for Nidiffer and lasted only three batters before being replaced by sophomore Rachel Hugghins. Hugghins threw a solid rest of the game allowing only four runs the rest of the way for the Bears.
Mercer entered into Sunday’s game in hopes of redemption after the 12-5 deficit, but the Bears instead gave up 15 runs, the most they’ve given up all season.
The fifth inning of the game proved to be the difference as the Black and Orange gave up nine runs.
Rice pitched a solid first four innings as the teams were knotted up at two runs apiece. When Woody scored off a sacrifice fly off the bat of Kennedy, Mercer broke out to a 1-0 lead. Kennedy’s RBI was one of three for her on the day and she now leads the team with 49 on the year.
In the third, FGCU took the lead scoring two runs off two hits giving the Eagles a 2-1 lead.
Ashton Holt guided a single through the right side to score Santana in response to tie the game.
Rice, who had allowed just four hits through the first four innings, seemed to be in control as she retired the first two batters of the fifth in order. However, things would spiral out of control in a hurry for Rice as she issued three walks, four hits and five runs to the next seven FGCU batters to give the Eagles the commanding 7-2 lead.
Rachel Hugghins came in for Rice, but she too couldn’t find her way out of the inning. FGCU’s next batter took Hugghins deep to left field for a three-run homerun to extend the lead to 10-2. An RBI single by the Eagles would be the final run of the inning as FGCU batted around to produce the nine runs off seven hits in the fifth.
In the Bears’ half of the fifth, the Black and Orange showed a little determination by scoring two runs to keep the game going. A Woody triple scored Marissa Botz and a Haney RBI groundout made the score 11-4 going into the sixth inning.
Krista Kennedy nailed a solo homerun to straight away center for her 11th of the campaign to make the score 11-5.
FGCU capitalized in the seventh, adding four more runs to the board. The Bears plated just two runs in their half of the inning to end the game, but the damage had already been done.
Shiver lined her second career homerun in the loss.
The Bears won the first meeting between the two Georgia schools 10-9 back on Feb. 20.Mercer finishes out its non-conference portion of it schedule this Wednesday as Georgia Tech heads to Sikes Field for a 6 p.m. matchup.
(03/27/13 2:22pm)
The Mercer softball team traveled to Deland, Fla. last weekend where they went 2-1 with Stetson on Patricia Wilson Softball Field. They dropped game one in a disappointing 8-4 game, but came back and won the next two 8-4, 12-4.
The Bears started off slow in the first game on Saturday and weren’t able to figure out Stetson’s starting pitcher until the fifth inning where they finally were able to get four runs on the board.
The Hatters ran across home one more time in the bottom of the fifth making the score 8-4. This would be the score the remainder of the game, ending the Bears’ four game conference winning streak.
In the top of the fifth, Mercer had back-to-back clutch hits from senior Sarah Santana and junior Krista Kennedy. Santana roped a two-run RBI double to left center that scored both junior McKenzie Woody and freshman Kaytlin Haney.
Kennedy followed that up with her eighth homerun of the season, with a two-run shot to left center. Despite their efforts late in the game, the Bears were not able to overcome their early deficit to beat the Hatters.
For the rest of the weekend, the Orange and Black dominated. Junior Randi Rea posted a pair of homeruns and four RBI in the second game leading them to a victory, while she continued to shine in the third game with Kennedy, accounting for seven of the Bears’ 12 runs.
Senior Kerri Nidiffer received the start in the circle in game two while junior Julia Rice registered the start in game three.
Mercer returns to action this week with a short respite from conference play hosting Florida A&M on Wednesday for a doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m.
(03/27/13 2:21pm)
The Mercer men’s lacrosse team dropped two more games in this past week of play. On March 16, the Bears traveled up to Louisville, Ky. where they lost to Bellarmine in a 12-5 match-up. Four days later, they dropped a 12-11 hard-fought game in Riverdale, N.Y. against Manhattan.
In the first game, junior attackman Zack Ward and freshman goalie Mike Nugent both had impressive performances in the loss. Ward scored two goals and Nugent made 11 saves.
The loss dropped the Bears to 3-4 on the year.
To start off the game, Bellarmine netted their first one in quick with 13:19 left in the quarter. Mercer responded, however, when junior midfielder Cole Branch and sophomore midfielder Timmy Geran teamed up to even matters midway through the first period.
With 13 seconds remaining in the quarter, Bellarmine found the net one more time to go into the second period with the lead 2-1.
The Knights went on a 5-0 scoring run in the second quarter that Mercer could not keep up with. The Bears went into the locker room at halftime trailing 6-1.
The Bears came out of the locker room hot and scored the first two goals of the half to bring Mercer within three. Assisted by classmate Harry Baker, Ward found the back of the net just before freshman attackman Chris Baxa did some work on his own, scoring with 7:59 left in the third quarter.
Bellarmine responded and registered six of the next seven goals to preserve the separation.
After the loss, the Bears were hungry for a win. Despite their best efforts, Mercer suffered its third-straight loss and fell to 3-5 on the year.
The first three periods of action were full of competitive back and forth play. Mercer was finally able to score three-straight times to erase an 8-7 deficit at the start of the fourth quarter. These three tallies put the Bears on top 10-8 with 10:45 to play. Geran, Baker and Ward registered the goals.
At the 6:12 mark in the fourth period, Manhattan went on a 4-0 run that put them in front 12-10 with 1:28 to play.
With a mere 36 seconds remaining in the contest, Ward found the net for the third time of the afternoon to give the Orange and Black a chance to send the game into overtime. Sophomore Justin Evans won the ensuing faceoff and Ward found an opening with four seconds left, but his shot was off the mark and Manhattan prevailed.
Baxa netted a pair of goals in his sixth-multi goal performance of the year. Junior Eoin Collins also scored two goals in the losing effort. Nugent made an impressive 14 saves on the defensive side for the Bears.
The Bears now return home for a March 31 matchup with High Point. Game time is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Moye Football and Lacrosse Complex.
(03/27/13 2:15pm)
Team fails to advance out of first round of Women’s Basketball Invitational
The Mercer women’s basketball team’s record-breaking season came to an end on Thursday, March 21 in Hawkins Arena. McNeese State upset the Bears 82-70 in the first round of the Women’s Basketball Invitational.
Before falling to McNeese State, Mercer competed in the Atlantic Sun tournament for the first time in three years, making it to the semifinals where they lost to Stetson.
In the first round of the A-Sun Championship, the Orange and Black faced Jacksonville, beating them 63-53.
Sophomore Precious Bridges led the way with a game-high 17 points while classmate Alicia Williams netted 16 points.
To start up the game, Williams put up the first nine points for the Bears to give them a 9-6 lead with 13:52 left in the first half.
Junior Kendra Grant began to heat up as well when she scored her second three-pointer of the game to give Mercer a 17-10 lead with 9:33 remaining in the half.
Jacksonville kept the game close and just before halftime was able to drain a three, bringing the dolphins within four, 32-28.
Coming into the second half, the Bears started it off with an 8-1 run. With 14:24 remaining in the contest, sophomore Teanna Robinson contributed with a put back lay-in, making the score 40-29.
The Dolphins were able to come back within seven, 45-38, with 7:28 left in the half, but Mercer’s offense was too aggressive and extended their lead back to 14 following an old-fashion three-point play by Bridges.
From that point forward, the Bears never let Jacksonville come within eight points of their lead the rest of the way to secure the win.
Junior Sharnea Boykin handed out 10 assists in the win; her fifth double-digit assist performance of the season while senior Sharmesia Smith grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds to go along with two blocks.
After a solid win against Jacksonville, the Bears were unable to pull out a second win the next day against Stetson in the semifinals.
Bridges led the team again with a game-high 24 points, but the Hatters took the win to advance to the A-Sun Championship final round.
The first few minutes of the game consisted of some back and forth play. A jumper by Bridges knotted things up at 10-10 with 7:52 left in the first half.
Later in the half, a jumper by Grant cut Stetson’s six point lead down to one, but the Hatters nailed a three-pointer just before the intermission to send Stetson into the locker room with a 25-21 lead.
The Bears started off the second half with a spark. A jumper by senior Ry’van Buchanan capped an 8-2 run to take a 29-27 lead with 15:52 to go on the game.
From there, the Hatters took over. Stetson put up a 23-9 run over the next seven-plus minutes of game action to put some distance between themselves and the Bears.
With 8:17 left in the contest, a Stetson lay-in made the score 50-38.
Mercer would get no closer than 10 points the rest of the way, coming up one win short of reaching the A-Sun Championship final round for the first time since 1993.
Buchanan was the only other Bear in double-figures, chipping in 11 points, while Boykin notched 10 assists for the second-straight game in the loss.
The Bears were given one more chance to continue their season in the WBI, but they were not able to outscore McNeese State with their impeccable 31-for-38 performance from the free throw line.
The Bears set a record of 94 field goals attempted and 55 total rebounds on the night.
Grant ended her season with a career-best 27 points on a career-high 31 field goals attempted. Robinson chipped in offensively as well with six points, 13 rebounds and a block in the game.
Both teams started off the game strong offensively before an old-fashioned three-point play gave McNeese State an early 18-15 lead with 12:52 left in the first half.
The Cowgirls extended their lead to as large as six points before Mercer responded with a 6-0 run of its own. Robinson brought the Bears back even at 21-21 by scoring back-to-back put-back lay-ins with 8:06 remaining in the first stanza.
Both teams fought to keep it a one-possession game until the final minutes of the first half when the visitors made a late push. McNeese state went into the locker room with a 39-35 lead.
The Bears started the second half strong, however, riding the hot shooting of Grant. She scored seven-straight points to pull the home team within two, at 44-42, with 17:22 left in the second half.
Mercer continued to chip away at the Cowgirls’ lead until a spark off the bench by junior Kate Alemann pushed the Bears in front. Alemann scored four-straight points to give the home team a 50-49 lead with 11:16 remaining in the second half.
Grant connected on a pair of jumpers on back-to-back possession to keep Mercer within striking distance, trailing just 60-58, with 4:23 minutes left in the game.
Over the final four minutes of the contest, McNeese State connected on 16-straight attempts from the free throw line. This put the game out of reach for the Bears and secured the road win for the Cowgirls.
The loss was the final game in the Orange and Black for Smith, Buchanan and senior Alex Phillips. The trio helped Mercer to its first 20-win season since 1991-92 and its first appearance in a nationally sponsored postseason tournament since 1985.
(03/06/13 5:29pm)
In the Mercer Bears Classic last weekend, the Mercer softball team did not have their best showing in the 2-3 outcome.
To kick off the Mercer Bears Classic, the Bears went 1-1 falling first to Central Arkansas 8-5 in 10 innings and then picking up a nice 13-5 win over Northern Kentucky in game two.
Mercer was led by junior Krista Kennedy who went 4-5 with three homeruns and five RBI on the day. Senior Kerri Nidiffer threw 4.1 scoreless innings in her appearance in game two.
In game one, junior Kristen Bretscher received the start inside the circle before classmate Julia Rice took over in the fourth inning. Mercer was trailing 3-0 until Bretscher knocked in her first-career RBI driving Kennedy from third.
Mercer tied things up in the fifth as both junior McKenzie Woody and freshman Kaytlin Haney each scored off a two-out double down the left field line by sophomore Rachel Hugghins.
In the seventh inning, The Bears were trailing 4-3 until Kennedy racked up her fourth homerun of the season to send the ballgame into extra-innings.
For the first two innings of extras, both Mercer and Central Arkansas went scoreless until UCA scored four in the top of the 10th off three hits and a Mercer error.
After the disappointing late game loss in game one, the Bears turned things around to get the win against NKU. Mercer jumped out to the early lead as Woody came across in the first of a Norse error.
Northern Kentucky responded the next inning, scoring all five of their runs in the inning, four of which came off of a grand slam.
The NKU homerun put the Bears behind 5-1, but Mercer fought back scoring 12 unanswered runs after that.
Senior Sarah Santana finished going 2-for-4 with a game-high five RBI. The five RBI for Santana gave her 16 for the season, trailing Kennedy by four with the team-lead of 20.
On the second day of the Mercer Bears Classic, the Orange and Black salvaged yet another split as the team both won and lost to Chattanooga.
In game one, the Bears finished with a 3-2 win, but then fell to the Mocs 8-2 in game two.
Mercer was trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the sixth inning of the first game and was desperate for some offense. After Santana led off the inning being hit by a pitch, Kennedy moved into scoring positions with a single to right field as Santana was narrowly thrown out at third. Freshman Ashton Holt advanced Kennedy to third with a single of her own, thus setting the stage for Hugghins and her late-inning heroics.
Hugghins fought off several pitches with a full-count before connecting with her first homerun of her Mercer career—a three-run shot that ended up counting as the game winning runs.
The Bears didn’t start off too well in the second game against the Mocs. Mercer fell behind early and watched seven runs come across by the end of the fifth.
Haney accounted for three of the Bears’ seven hits in the game, finishing 3-for-four. Santana and Kennedy each had RBI in the game, moving their team-leading season totals to 17 and 21 respectively.
To wrap up tournament play, the Mercer softball team finished the last day of the Mercer Bears Classic with a third loss to Central Arkansas in a disappointing blowout, 10-0.
Rice picked up her fourth loss of the season in throwing four innings and allowing 10 runs.
Central Arkansas scored four in the second and three in both the third and fourth innings while limiting the Bears to just three hits on the day.
Holt had a solid day at the plate going 2-for-2 with a single and a double.
Mercer next opens up Atlantic Sun Conference play next weekend at home as East Tennessee State heads to Sikes Field for a three-game series. The Bears take on the Lady Bucs in a double header next Saturday at 1 p.m.