GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Grant Schuermann pitched seven shutout innings and enjoyed solid run support from his teammates in helping Furman blank UNCG, 10-0, and win its first Southern Conference baseball series of the season Saturday afternoon at UNCG Stadium. 

The Paladins (15-18, 5-6 SoCon), who beat the Spartans (14-17, 5-6 SoCon) 9-4 in Friday's opener, will go for the series sweep in Sunday's 1:00 p.m. finale.

Schuermann (3-1), a freshman left-hander from Cincinnati, Ohio, scattered seven hits over seven frames, struck out four, and did not walk a batter, in earning the victory.  He combined with relievers Steven Fondu and Brandon Casas in crafting Furman's third shutout of the season, and his second since posting a 10-0, complete game blanking of Gardner-Webb on Mar. 17.

Ryan Morse continued to torch UNCG pitching by belting his third home run of the series, part of a 2-for-5, three-RBI performance that highlighted Furman's 13-hit attack.  Blake Chisolm went 3-for-4 for his team leading 18th multi-hit game and drove in two runs, and Carter Grote had a pair of hits, scored twice, stole a base, and drove in a run.

Furman scored all the runs it would need in the third inning, using RBI singles by Grote and Griffin Davis to take a 2-0 lead against UNCG starting pitcher Andrew Wantz (5-1).

The Paladins combined two hits with an error to score three more in the third.  A Cameron Whitehead sacrifice fly plated the first run, and Morse followed with a two-run blast over the right center field fence to up Furman's lead to 5-0.

Furman used a pair of sacrifice flies by Davis and Ohmstede in the fifth to increase the advantage to 7-0, and tacked on two more in the seventh when Chisolm stroked a two-run double to left field to drive in Jordan Simpson and Chris Ohmstede.

Fondu worked a scoreless eighth and Casas retired the Spartans in the ninth to complete the shutout.

Schuermann stranded runners in each inning, including two in the first when he pitched around a one-out error.  The Spartans left 12 runners on base in the contest.

Collin Woody had two of UNCG's seven hits.

Wantz was tagged for nine of the Paladins' 10 runs, though only six were earned.  He surrendered 12 hits, struck out eight, and issued no walks in taking the loss.

Hunter Reid, Furman Sports Information