GAME 1 BOX SCORE (PDF)
GAME 2 BOX SCORE (PDF)
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford softball team split a Southern Conference doubleheader with Mercer Saturday at the Samford Softball Stadium. Samford won the first game, 4-3, before falling in game two by a score of 6-4.
In game one, Samford trailed, 3-2, going into the bottom of the sixth inning. Samford tied the score in the sixth when Kelsey Royalty tripled to center field to drive in Abby Sweeney, knotting the score at 3-3.
Samford won the game with a run in the bottom of the seventh inning. Taylor DeCelles reached base on an infield single to start the inning. DeCelles then moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Lexie Higgins. With two outs in the inning, Whitney Hinton singled to center field to drive in DeCelles to give Samford the 4-3 victory.
For Samford in game one, Sweeney went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Shelby Maze went 2-for-4 with a triple in the win. Grey Adams (9-11) pitched the complete game, giving up three runs on six hits to pick up the win in the circle for Samford.
Mercer was led in the first game by Taylor Miller, going 2-for-4 with an RBI. Meghan Rud went 2-for-3 in the game for the Bears. Stella Preston (5-7) tossed 5.2 innings in relief, giving up two runs on six hits to take the loss.
In game two, Mercer jumped out to a 4-0 lead with two runs in the first inning and two more in the second. Samford, however, tied the game with a run each in the second, third, fourth and fifth innings.
In the second inning, Hannah Trombley singled to drive in Royalty to make the score 4-1. In the third inning, Sweeney hit a solo home run to center field to cut the Mercer lead to 4-2. The fourth-inning run scored when Sweeney walked with the bases loaded, driving in Higgins to make the score 4-3. In the fifth inning, Trombley doubled to center field to drive in Royalty to tie the score at 4-4.
Neither team could score in the sixth inning, and the teams headed to the seventh inning still knotted at 4-4. With one out and Mercer runners on second and third base, the game went into a weather delay. After a one hour and twenty-three minute delay, Mercer plated two runs to take a 6-4 lead. Megan Lane singled to right field to drive in Rud for the first run. Emma Andrew later walked with the bases loaded to drive in Miller for a two-run Mercer lead.
Samford was unable to score in the bottom of the seventh inning, and Mercer came away with the 6-4 win.
For Samford in the second game, Sweeney went 3-for-3 with a home run, a double and two RBI. Royalty, Trombley and Maze had two hits each for Samford in game two. Rebecca Leonard (1-5) pitched 4.1 innings in relief, giving up two runs, just one earned, to take the loss in the circle.
Mercer was led in game two by Lane, going 3-for-3 with a double and three RBI. Miller also had three hits in the second game for the Bears. Anna O'Neill (1-2) pitched 2.1 innings in relief to earn the win for Mercer. Preston tossed the final inning to pick up her fifth save of the season.
The teams will wrap up the series with a single game Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Samford Softball Stadium. Sunday's game will be Senior Day for the Bulldogs. Samford's five seniors, Adams, Leonard, Abbie Miranda, Jessica Stone and Sweeney, will be honored in a ceremony prior to the game.
Admission to the game is free. Fans can follow the game online at the links below.
LIVE VIDEO
LIVE STATS
