Game One Box Score |
Game Two Box Score
MACON, Ga. - The Panther softball team opened the 2017 Mercer Bears Classic with a 4-2 win over Eastern Michigan Friday morning before falling to the host Bears 3-1 in EIU's nightcap game.
EIU was held to only three hits in their loss against Mercer with the split putting them at 13-13 on the year at the end of the first day of tournament play.
Maria DeVito and
Amber Toenyes were the only Panthers to log a hit in each game combining for three of EIU's four RBIs on the day.
Eastern Michigan opened the scoring in game one Friday morning. With runners on second and third base, the Eagles hit back-to-back sacrifice hits to take a 2-0 lead at the end of the third inning.
The Panthers tied the game in the following inning as Toenyes hit an RBI single to right field scoring
Mia Davis from second base putting EIU on the board 2-1.
Andrea Roberts knotted the game up 2-2 after hitting a single through the left side to bring around a pinch running
Amber Matchett.
EIU took the lead in the fifth as
Kayla Bear and
Taylor Monahan hit lead-off singles. Both runners advanced into scoring positions thanks to a sacrifice bunt on the next at-bat by Davis. DeVito clinched the win with a single up the middle scoring both Bear and Monahan to give EIU a 4-2 lead.
Jessica Wireman stepped in to pitch in the top of the six closing out the game throwing three strikeouts over the last two innings to earn her second save of the season.
Michelle Rogers recorded the win to improve to 8-5 this season.
Once again the Panthers found themselves behind early in game two of the day against the hosts Mercer. The Bears stayed alive in the second inning thanks to a two-out single from Megan Lane. After Danielle Castleberry was hit by a pitch, Mercer's Meghan Rud hit an RBI single to right field to put the Bears up 1-0.
Mercer was able to hold EIU hitless through the first four innings until Toenyes struck a solo home run to left field to tie the game 1-1 in the top of the fifth inning. The Bears re-gained the lead shortly afterwards in the bottom of the inning off an RBI single up the middle from Emma Andrew scoring the runner from third.
Despite having the bases loaded Rogers, who came in to replace Wireman in the fifth, and the Panther defense held Mercer to one run going into the sixth inning trailing 2-1.
The Bears added one more run in the sixth inning off a solo home run from Taylor Rodgers to earn the final score of 3-1.
Jennifer Ames and DeVito were the only other Panthers to record a hit against Mercer.
The Panthers continue tournament play Saturday against Savannah State at 8:30 a.m. before taking on Mercer once again at 10:45.
