Game 1 Boxscore

Game 2 Boxscore

Cullowhee, N.C. – Senior Lauren Collier tossed a five-hit shutout in game one to help propel Furman to a 7-0, 1-6 doubleheader split in Southern Conference softball action at Western Carolina on Saturday afternoon.

Game 1

With the series opener scoreless after three innings, Andrea Abbatiello drew a leadoff walk and stole second to begin the top of the fourth.  After back-to-back strikeouts, Ambree Muller hit a towering two-run shot to left-center to stake the Paladins to a 2-0 lead.

In the top of the sixth, Elise Smith was hit by a pitch and Muller drew a one-out walk to set the table for Furman before Natalie Clemmons belted her team-leading sixth home run of the season, a three-run shot, to deep left-center field to extend the Paladin lead to 5-0.  Collier doubled with one out and scored on Taylor Jenkins' two-out double.  The Paladins added another run as Nikki Legg reached on a bunt single and Jenkins scored on a throwing error to first.

Collier scattered five hits in a complete-game effort to improve to 15-10 in the circle.  The Maineville, Ohio, native walked just one batter and fanned two in the victory.

Mallory Broome (1-6) suffered the loss for the Catamounts, allowing two runs on two hits in five innings.  She struck out six batters and issued three walks.

Clemmons went 2-for-3 with three RBI for the Paladins while Muller homered, walked twice and scored two runs.

Game 2

In the second game of the twinbill, Western Carolina plated four runs with two outs in the bottom of the third inning and three Furman errors led to two more runs in the sixth as the Catamounts cruised to a 6-1 win.

Starter Jordan Garrett (9-14) held the Paladins to just one run on three hits in six innings of work to earn the win.  The right-hander fanned five batters and walked three.

Two walks and a single loaded the bases for the Catamounts in the bottom of the third and Taylor Sigmon put Western Carolina on the board first by lining a two-out, two-run single up the middle off of Paladin starter Shelby Parker.  Heather Chastain followed with a two-run double off of the left-center field fence to up the margin to 4-0.

Abbatiello got Furman on the board in the top of the fifth by belting her first career home run to trim the Catamount lead to 4-1.  

In the sixth, Western Carolina's first three batters reached on errors by the Paladin infield as WCU pushed across two insurance runs.

Parker (6-10), who gave up four runs on five hits in four and 2/3 innings, took the loss for Furman.  She walked four batters and recorded five strikeouts.

Western Carolina was led by Sigmon who went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI.

Furman and Western Carolina conclude the three-game series with a single game on Sunday at the Catamount Softball Complex.  First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.

Fans can log onto www.FurmanPaladins.com for free live stats of series finale via StatBroadcast.  In-game updates will be available on Twitter by following @FurmanSoftball.