April 5, 2008

Box Score

Mt. Pleasant, S.C. - Lana Mackey pitched 10 scoreless innings to earn two victories in the circle as Furman swept a Southern Conference softball doubleheader from the College of Charleston 3-0, 4-1 on Saturday afternoon at Patriots Point.

The sophomore hurler tossed a complete game, two-hit shutout and went 2-for-3 with two doubles at the plate in game one as Furman claimed a 3-0 victory. Mackey scattered two hits and worked around four walks while fanning four batters in seven innings.

The Paladins opened the scoring in the second as Brythe Blankenship walked, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on Mackey's two-out double into right-center field. Morgan Hughey capped the scoring for Furman in the sixth with a double over the left fielder's head to plate Blankenship and Stephanie Cushing to up the Paladin lead to 3-0.

Terri Mesko suffered the loss for the Cougars to fall to 8-13. She allowed three runs on six hits in seven innings while striking out seven.

In the nightcap, Mackey combined with game two starter Bethany Ullrich to hold CofC to just an unearned run on six hits in a 4-1 Paladin victory.

Ullrich scattered five hits and allowed an unearned run in the third in four innings of work. The freshman did not issue a walk and struck out two batters. Mackey (11-13) took over in the circle to start the fifth inning and faced the minimum allowing only one hit to earn the victory.

Trailing 1-0 in the top of the fifth, scratched across a run to even the game at 1-1. Ullrich singled to center, but was erased when Katie Michaels reached on a fielder's choice. After Michaels swiped second, Meredith Mielke doubled down the left field line to score the freshman from second base.

Ullrich ignited another Paladin rally in the seventh leading off the frame with a single to center. Once again she was forced out on Michaels' fielder's choice, but Mielke followed with a line drive single off of the shortstop's glove. Michaels beat the throw of the left fielder to third base and Mielke raced into second on the play. Cushing followed with a bases clearing triple to right-center and scored when Blankenship reached on an error by the Cougar shortstop to increase the lead to 4-1.

Shannon Howard (11-10) took the loss for Charleston. She allowed four runs on eight hits in seven innings. Mielke, Blankenship and Ullrich each collected two hits for Furman. Howard and catcher Brittany Small recorded two hits for the Cougars.

Furman improved to 16-17 overall and 5-3 in SoCon play. Charleston slipped to 21-25 overall and 5-3 in the league.

Mackey finished the doubleheader pitching 10 scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and striking out six batters. Mielke and Blankenship each totaled three hits apiece in the twinbill for the Paladins.

Furman and College of Charleston will conclude their three-game series with a single game on Sunday at 1 p.m.