Thursday, May 12, 2011

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – In the final contest on Thursday afternoon, Mercer scored two runs in the fourth inning and held on for a 3-2 win over USC Upstate at Cyrill Stadium in the 2011 Atlantic Sun Softball Championship.

Mercer (32-23) scored the game’s first run when Tiffany Phillips scored on Allison Jones RBI single to first in the top of the second inning.

Upstate (42-13) posted two runs in the home half of the second to take a 2-1 lead. Katelyn Molkenthin scored on Cheyanna Ohlrich’s sacrifice fly to right and Erika Harris scored on a throwing error by Mercer right fielder, Phillips, to put the Spartans in front.

In the fourth, Mercer regained the lead, a lead they would not relinquish. Anna Johnson scored to tie the game at 2-2 when Sarah Santana reached first on a bunt single. Randi Rea scored what proved to be the game winning run on Tiffany Phillips’ sacrifice fly to left.

Mercer relief pitcher Jenni Holtz earned the victory and improved to 13-11 after allowing just one hit with five strike outs and a walk over the final six frames. Upstate’s Morgan Childers (29-9) hurled the final five innings, allowing two runs (both unearned) on six hits with three strike outs.

---

Read the Atlantic Sun Insider Column: Holtz's Role Transfusion Equates Bears' Success

---

Mercer advances to tomorrow’s elimination game against Campbell at 3 p.m. The Bears defeated the Camels, 2-1, in the tournament opener.

Follow the Atlantic Sun on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun stands for achievement with integrity in both the academic and athletic arenas, with a focus on the balance between the two for our student-athletes. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.