Bulldog Softball Pulverizes Mercer For 12-2 Win in Regular Season Finale

Sunday, May 5

Macon, Ga.

12 PM

Samford University

21-30, 12-9

Mercer

22-28, 11-10

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Samford	0	0	5	1	0	2	4	12	14	0
Mercer	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	2	5	5

Bulldog Softball Pulverizes Mercer For 12-2 Win in Regular Season Finale

5.5.24 | Softball

Box Score

MACON, Ga. – In the final game of the 2024 regular season, the Samford softball team tranquilized the Mercer Bears on Sunday afternoon by a score of 12-2 at Sikes Field.

With the victory, Samford finishes the campaign with an overall record of 21-30 and 12-9 in Southern Conference play. The win also secured the Bulldogs the third seed in the upcoming 2024 SoCon Softball Championship. Mercer drops to 22-28 and 11-10 on the year.

For her eighth win of the season, McKenzie Newcomb tossed a complete game five-hitter that held the Mercer offense in check for most of the afternoon. Newcomb also fanned seven Bears against only one walk.

The senior tandem of Lindsey Nelson and Ansley Yantis combined for six hits and five runs scored as Nelson went 3-for-3 with a run driven in and two scored while Yantis turned in a 3-for-4 performance at the plate to score twice.

Adding to the onslaught, the trio of Sarah Squillace, Olivia Shaw and Lindsey Nelson each had two hits in the season finale. Outfielder Mckayla Cothran drove in two more runs of her own to match Squillace's pair of RBIs.

After a quiet start to the contest, the Samford offense exploded for five runs on four hits and a pair of errors by Mercer's second baseman. Yantis got the party started with a leadoff double down the line in left before coming around to score on a Cothran single to center.

The second Mercer error of the inning allowed Cothran and Nelson to score on a fielder's choice off the bat of Squillace to make it a 3-0 game. A Logan Champion RBI groundout and a Katie Campbell sacrifice fly pushed the Bulldog lead to 5-0 after two and a half innings in the book.

To open the top of the fourth, Linsey Hargis ended up on second after a bunt single forced a Mercer throwing error. Hargis touched home a few pitches later on a Yantis single to make it a 6-0 Samford advantage.

In the top of the sixth, back-to-back RBI base knocks from Squillace and Shaw inflated the Bulldog lead to 8-0 before Mercer got on the board with a two-out two-run home run to extend the contest to 8-2.

To put the game away for good, Samford plated more runs in the top of the seventh thanks in large part to the fifth and final Bear error of the game a pair of passed balls that made the final score 12-2 in favor of the visiting Samford Bulldogs.

UP NEXT
Samford will open the 2024 Softball Championship on Wednesday, May 8 in Greensboro, North Carolina as the third seed at 6 pm. CT against the winner of Furman and Western Carolina.

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For the latest news and information on Samford softball, visit the official website for Samford Athletics at SamfordSports.com. Fans can also follow the Bulldogs on social media at /SamfordSports (Facebook), @SamfordSB (Twitter) and @SamfordSB (Instagram).