MACON, Ga. – Proving their reputation as an undefeated juggernaut inside of Big South Conference terrain, the Mercer Bears dealt the Presbyterian College lacrosse team a 20-4 defeat on Wednesday evening in the Peach State, signifying the penultimate contest of the 2023 stretch. Reaching at least three scores in each period, MU's ninth straight victory brings the Blue Hose to a 6-10 mark beside a 3-5 league record.

On an evening where sophomore attacker Willow Hammond officially hit the second-highest single-season point total by an underclassman in the 15-year Division I history of the program (49), the Blue Hose couldn't combat an opponent who currently ranks inside the nation's top 15 in offensive and defensive efficiency (as well as caused turnovers), finishing their final road bout of the spring with a 5-5 resume away from Clinton.
 
NOTABLES
- Listing a successful strike in the 1^st and 3^rd frames to give her 36 goals for the campaign, Hammond ended the day as one of three PC players to get by Mercer's vaunted D along with junior Kylie Sullivan and senior Abby Edmisten.

- The combo of Taryn Tomas and Ava Ward accounted for eight groundball recoveries in Wednesday's setback along with three caused takeaways, part of a lineup that produced 14 Bear turnovers and 15 loose ball scoops over the conference encounter.

- Edmisten and Hammond – Presbyterian's two most reliable weapons on the offensive side of the field – have added up for 101 points since February (76 goals, 25 assists), the highest number accumulated by any two-player combination over one year in PC's history. Sullivan maintained her status as the team's third-highest goal-getter this semester with 21 scores.

- Just one goal away from equaling a personal-best that was established two years ago, Edmisten published her 40^th successful swing of the season in the final period during the midweek matchup, putting her in a deadlock with Catherine Ellis (2011-14) for the most points over a four-year career that the Blue Hose have ever witnessed (159).

- Lilly Phillips and Naomi Lauderbaugh split the Big South duel with 30 minutes each at the keepers' spot, totaling 10 saves. The Bears' notorious high-octane attack generated 30 on-target looks out of 35 attempts, not to mention a 20-6 discrepancy in draw control victories.

- Hammond's sophomore shine hasn't evaporated across the most pivotal stretches of the campaign, authoring her 10^th multi-goal effort of 2023 on Wednesday and fifth such performance versus a league combatant.
 
NEXT UP
- Head coach Eric Clakeley's unit will now get set to put a bow on their most profitable season in school history when analyzing the big picture, already assuming the highest win count of all-time among prior iterations of the Blue Hose. The '23 finale at Bailey Memorial Stadium will put the finishing touches on the schedule overall as PC welcomes the Paladins of Furman.

- In pursuit of their first victory against their in-state adversary with a short history between the two, Presbyterian will honor a hefty class of remarkable seniors this Saturday in a pregame ceremony before battling their Greenville visitor. Opening draw on the 29^th is slated for 1:00 PM.