Game 1 Boxscore

Game 2 Boxscore

Greenville, S.C. -- Furman belted four home runs en route to a 6-5 victory over Oakland on Saturday afternoon before freshman Emily Demonte tossed a complete game to earn her first career win in a 6-1 triumph over MAC favorite Kent State in the nightcap at Pepsi Stadium.

Game 1

Candace Johnson, Hannah Reynolds, Taylor Collins and Sieara Bishop each homered to propel Furman to 6-5 victory over Oakland in the Paladins' opening game of the day on Saturday at the Upstate Invitational in Greenville, S.C.

After Oakland grabbed a 1-0 lead on a Furman throwing error in the top half of the first inning, the Paladins responded in the bottom of the frame. Bishop worked a leadoff walk and Courtney Jacobs grounded into a fielder's choice before Johnson cracked a towering two-run homer to right field to give the Paladins a 2-1 lead.

Furman left the bases loaded without scoring in the second inning, but got back on the board quickly in the home half of the third inning. Johnson lined a single up the middle to open the frame and Reynolds belted a two-run homer to left, her first career roundtripper, to stake Furman to a 4-1 advantage.

In the fourth inning, Collins ignited another two-run frame by hammering a pitch over the right-center field fence and Bishop lined a solo blast two batters later to give the Paladins a 6-1 cushion.

Oakland put a scare into the Paladins in the fifth as Brittney Miller opened the inning with a single and Kelsie Swanson reached on an error with one out. After a sacrifice bunt put two runners in scoring position with two outs, Mikayela Marciniak drove in a run with a single to shortstop and Sarah Hartley brought Oakland within 6-4 with a two-run triple to right field after Johnson slipped while tracking the ball. Carah Pletscher's RBI single off reliever Lindsey Bert cut the Paladin lead to 6-5 before a strikeout ended the four-run outburst.

Bert retired all three batters she faced in the sixth inning and worked around an error in the seventh to secure the victory for Furman as she earned her first save of the season. The Tallahassee, Fla., product allowed just one hit over two and 2/3 innings of work while fanning three batters.

Alex Sappington (1-1), who gave up five unearned runs on five hits in four and 2/3 innings, earned the victory.

Johnson finished 2-for-3 with two RBI, while Collins went 2-for-3 and Elise Smith posted a 2-for-3 outing with a double.

Kaley Waalkes took the loss for Oakland allowing five runs on six hits in three-plus innings. She walked two and struck out two Paladins. Hartley and Pletscher recorded two hits apiece for the Grizzlies.

Game 2

In the nightcap, Demonte earned her first career victory in the circle by holding previously unbeaten Kent State (8-1) to just a run on eight hits over seven innings in a 6-1 Furman win.

The freshman right-hander issued two walks and fanned three batters, including the final two of the game to earn the complete game victory.

Furman (4-6) opened the scoring in the bottom of the second on Emma Ogburn's sacrifice fly to plate Taylor Vahle who started the inning with a triple off of the right field line. The Paladins added two more runs in the third. Reynolds doubled down the line, Smith walked and AnnaRose Borrelli loaded the bases with a single. After Vahle lined out to the pitcher, Ogburn delivered a two-run single over the head of the first baseman to give the Paladins a 3-0 lead.

Borrelli belted a solo blast in the fifth to put Furman ahead 4-0 and the sophomore answered Kent State's run in the top of the fifth with an RBI single in the bottom of the frame followed by an RBI double from Ogburn for the final 6-1 margin.

Ogburn went 3-for-4 with four RBI, while Borrelli finished 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI as Furman pounded out 11 hits.

Janel Hayes took the loss for Kent State allowing three runs on five hits in four innings in the circle. Michele Duffy registered two hits for the Golden Flashes.

Furman concludes the Upstate Invitational on Sunday at 12 p.m. when it hosts the Akron Zips at Pepsi Stadium. Live stats will be available at FurmanPaladins.com.

Admission to all games at Pepsi Stadium is free

Upstate Invitational Schedule (@ Pepsi Stadium)
Friday
12:00 - Savannah State 6, Akron 3
2:00 - Akron 3, Furman 0
4:00 - Furman 3, Savannah State 1

Saturday
11:00 - Oakland 8 North Carolina Central 0
1:00 - Furman 6, Oakland 5
3:00 - Furman 6, Kent State 1
5:00 - Kent State 3 North Carolina Central 0

Sunday
12:00 - Akron vs. Furman


Jordan Caskey, Furman Sports Information