March 17, 2006

Box Score

Greenville, S.C. - Freshmen Amber Kiser and Stephanie Cushing each recorded three hits to help Furman rally from a 3-1 deficit and down Appalachian State 9-5 to complete a doubleheader sweep of the Mountaineers in the Southern Conference Softball opener for both teams Friday afternoon at Pepsi Stadium. Furman topped Appalachian 5-1 in game one.

With Furman (17-15, 2-0 SoCon) trailing 3-1 in the bottom of the fifth of game two, Kiser reached on a chopper to the pitcher with one out. Joni Lockridge followed with a double to left-center to plate Kiser and moved to third on the throw to the plate. Cushing knotted the game at 3-3 singling through the left side to drive in Lockridge.

Appalachian State starter Kayla Richardson reentered the game in the circle and was greeted by a Megan Jaudon RBI double to give Furman a 4-3 lead. After Jaudon was cut down at the plate on Amber Nelsen's fielder's choice and Danielle Franklin reached on a walk, Lynn Parmer laced an RBI single through the right side to cap the scoring.

Appalachian (11-15, 0-2 SoCon) trimmed the lead to one with a Lindsay Glover single in the top of the sixth, but Furman answered with four more runs in the bottom half of the inning. Jessica Mathis drew a leadoff walk and Kiser reached on a bunt single. Lockridge lined a single up the middle to score Mathis and Kiser crossed the plate on a throwing error. Cushing continued the rally with a triple down the right field line to drive in Lockridge. After Teri Fister entered the game and retired two batters, Parmer singled to second to cap the scoring.

Kiser tallied three runs for the Lady Paladins while Cushing drove in three runs. Lockridge, Jaudon and Parmer each collected two hits. Mathis (3-3) earned the win while allowing two runs on seven hits in 3.2 innings of relief.

Glover and Ashley Gaston notched three hits for the Mountaineers while Brittany Gaston, Stephanie Long and Kasey Motsinger tallied two safeties each. Reliever Keri Blackwelder (3-6) took her second loss of the day for Appalachian. Blackwelder allowed three runs on three hits in one inning in the circle.

In Friday's first game, freshman Vanessa Williams (8-5) hurled seven innings allowing only one run while striking out three to lead Furman to a 5-1 victory.

Ashley Gaston put the Mountaineers ahead in the second reaching on a walk and scoring on Kristyn Hurt's two-out, RBI single.

Furman fired back with three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Franklin led off the frame with an infield single and moved to third when Glover threw wide off first while attempting to retire Abby Robertson on a sacrifice bunt. Fister entered the game in relief of Blackwelder and surrendered a run scoring single to center off of the bat of Mathis. Following a bunt single from Kiser, Lockridge forced in a run drawing a bases loaded walk. Cushing upped the lead to 3-1 with a sacrifice fly to left field.

Nelsen added the first of two insurance runs in the sixth by opening the inning with a solo homer to left-center, her sixth of the season. Mathis singled to score Robertson for the final 5-1 margin with two outs in the inning.

Kiser and Mathis collected two hits each for Furman. Blackwelder suffered the loss after allowing just one earned run in 4.1 innings.

Furman and Appalachian State play the final game of their three-game series Saturday at Pepsi Stadium. The first pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.