Mercer advances in conference softball tournament

Mercer needed extra innings, but made the most of the chance and dumped Furman 5-2 Wednesday in the opening round of the Southern Conference softball tournament in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Mercer, seeded seventh, will play third-seeded Chattanooga at 3 p.m. Wednesday. The Bears improved to 22-33 this season, and 4-2 in conference tournament play the past two seasons.

Mercer received the jolt it needed when Meghan Rud led off the eighth with a triple to left. She scored the go-ahead run two at-bats later on a sacrifice fly by Taylor Rodgers.

The Bears poured it on after that, as Quirisa Mauga and Shaila Warren singled, and were driven in by Maxine Rodriguez’s two-run double.

Megan Bilgri of Mercer and Lindsey Bert of Furman both went the distance. Bilgri struck out four, tying a season high.

Taylor Miller and Natalie Shiver both extended their current hitting streaks to 17 and seven games, respectively.

Telegraph Staff