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5/7/2009 - SOFTBALL
Bears One-Hitter Pushes Past the Lady Bisons
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DeLAND, Fla. - Mercer's senior pitcher Lacey Richardson tossed a one-hitter to propel the Bears past Lipscomb, 2-0 in the fifth game of the 2009 Atlantic Sun Softball Championship presented by Holiday Inn Express at Patricia Wilson Field.
Lacey Richardson rolled in her sixth shutout of the season and improves her ERA to 1.77 for the season.
Richardson Neilson broke the scoreless streak when she chopped Freshman of the Year Whitney Kiihnl's pitch to hit a left field single to bring home Anna Johnson. Moments later Amanda Santa Maria lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to send Jena Ellis past the plate, giving the Bears a 2-0 advantage.
The Bears scored their two runs in the fifth inning after Emi Sherrill's leadoff walk and Ellis' infield single. Jenny Goodman advanced the runners with a sacrifice bunt setting the scene for Neilson's RBI.
Mercer's pair of victories marks the first time since the 1989 championship that the Bears claimed wins in their first two tournament contests.
Richardson threw 98 pitches in the one-hit game with four walks and one strikeout for the win. Kiihnl finished with 89 pitches with three hits, three walks and six strikeouts.
No. 1 Campbell and No. 4 Jacksonville wrap up the day at 8:00 p.m.
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.
