April 27, 2008

Box Score

Cullowhee, N.C. - Furman pounded out 14 hits, including a two-run double from Stephanie Cushing in the top of the ninth, to power past Western Carolina 8-5 and earn a doubleheader split with the Catamounts in Southern Conference softball action Saturday evening at the Catamount Softball Complex.

Tied at 5-5 after eight innings, Furman opened the ninth with back-to-back singles from Bethany Ullrich and Katie Michaels followed by a sacrifice bunt by Morgan Hughey. Cushing gave the Paladins a 7-5 lead with a line drive off of the left field fence to drive in Ullrich and Michaels. Brythe Blankenship plated Cushing on an infield single to up the advantage to 8-5 and Lana Mackey retired the Catamounts in the bottom half of the inning to secure the victory.

Furman moved to 21-27 overall and 8-9 in the SoCon while the split put the Catamounts at 16-34 overall and 6-14 in the conference.

Western Carolina took a 1-0 lead in the first on an Amber Hawkins double before Furman answered with four runs in the top of the third. A pair of errors and a Colleen Harrison single put two runners in scoring position before Hughey laced a two-run double to left-center. Abby Robertson singled two batters later to drive in Hughey and give Furman a 4-1 lead.

The Catamounts knotted the game with three runs of their own in the bottom of the inning. With two outs and one on, Beth Hauser singled and Stephanie Beatty doubled to center field to trim the lead to 4-3. Furman suffered bad luck on the next play as catcher Megan Schonhar blocked a pitch and fired to third to try to erase Beatty looking to advance to third. While applying the tag at third, Robertson was injured and forced to leave the field. Beatty scored on Mollie Fowler's single to cap the inning at tie the game at 4-4.

Furman regained the lead in the top of the eighth. Cushing led off the frame with a single and moved to second when Robertson, batting with only one hand due to her injury, executed a sacrifice bunt with two strikes to advance Cushing to third. Kate Termini followed with a single to put Furman ahead 5-4. Western Carolina continued the marathon on Jamie Swank's two-out RBI single off the glove of Hughey in the bottom of the inning before Furman claimed the win with its three-run ninth.

Mackey (16-21) scored the victory allowing only one run on six hits in 6 1/3 innings of relief. She struck out seven batters to moved past the 200 strikeout mark for the season. Blankenship went 3-for-3 with two RBI while four players collected two hits apiece for the Paladins.

Lauren Ross (8-17) took the loss allowing five earned runs in nine innings. Swank went 3-for-4 to pace the Catamounts at the plate.

Western Carolina earned a 4-1 victory in the series opener on Swank's three-run triple in the sixth inning. Game two was delayed more than a half hour due to lightning in the area.

The rubber game of the three-game series is set for 1 p.m. on Sunday.