MACON, Ga. – Forced to delay an extra 24 hours in beginning the Mercer Invitational due to weather complications, the Presbyterian College softball team proved that the wait was more than worth it by shutting out both Columbia (8-0) and Tennessee State (4-0) on Saturday afternoon.

Taking their winning streak to four games while allowing only three combined hits, the Blue Hose were nearly perfect on the defensive end and never committed a single error over 12 innings.

This is the first time since February of 2023 that Presbyterian has won via shutout in back-to-back meetings (IUPUI and Appalachian State were the opponents back then).

PC's offensive numbers were more than enough to get the Saturday sweep, as freshman Cierra Grice and senior Molly Mattas each logged their first home runs of the season.

That's not to mention three doubles by rookie Hali Duke and a couple other extra-base hits from leftfielder Morgan Farthing. With the quick win over Columbia, PC has now won twice via mercy rule in 2026.

The Scotsmen will wake bright and early for the last day of the Mercer tournament, playing the Lions again at 8:00 AM tomorrow before then facing the host school at approximately 1:00.


 
NOTABLES

 
- Presby's pitching was instrumental in getting them to 10 victories, as Avery Robinson threw the abbreviated game against Columbia while letting just two out of 17 batters get to first base.

- Kylie Rast and Peyton Duncan tag-teamed the pitching duties during the Tennessee State matchup, combining for eight strikeouts and a mere two hits.

- Duncan in particular has had a fantastic week, appearing against both TSU and North Carolina A&T in relief and combining for 7.1 innings with zero hits given up.

- Grice and Duke continue their excellent first months in a PC uniform, now with 22 RBI between them as starting infielders.

- Mattas punctuated the sweep with her third home run as a Blue Hose, making her squad 3-2 in neutral-site encounters.


 
GAME ONE: Presbyterian def. Columbia, 8-0 (Five Innings)

 
- Head coach David Williams' unit was not to be denied in the first of four games this weekend, advancing to a 3-0 lead after the blast by Grice and putting up five runs in the top of the 4^th to signal the mercy rule.

- Senior outfielder Gracie DeCuir logged a two-run double to start that sequence, while Duke followed suit with the same action and Robinson posted an RBI-groundout.

- Three of Columbia's five innings were over in 1-2-3 fashion, with PC out-hitting the Lions 12-1. Presby has produced at least 10 hits against six opponents this season.

- Grice collected three hits for the third consecutive contest, making her a sizzling 11-of-16 during the team's ongoing four-game winning streak.


 
GAME TWO: Presbyterian def. Tennessee State, 4-0

 
- Both sides were identical after four innings in the second half of the doubleheader, each with just two hits and six runners stranded. That changed in the next stanza where Robinson and Blair Darby notched two straight RBI-groundouts.

- That's all the scoring PC needed to get win number 10, although Mattas doubled the margin with her two-run homer in the 6^th (which also scored pinch-hitter Audrey Burton).

- The pitching by Presbyterian was again tremendous, with Duncan fanning the last six batters to preserve the victory.