Game 1 Boxscore

Game 2 Boxscore

Greenville, S.C. -- Sophomore Lindsey Bert collected six hits in eight trips to the plate over two games and tossed five effective innings in game one to power Furman to a 16-1, 3-1 sweep of Gardner-Webb in non-conference softball action on Wednesday afternoon at Pepsi Stadium.

The sweep improved the Paladins to 15-14 on the season, while Gardner-Webb slipped to 10-13.

Game 1
In game one, Elise Smith belted a grand slam en route to tying a school single game record with six RBI and Bert went 4-for-4 with a pair of doubles, a homer and four RBI as Furman rolled to a 16-1 victory over Gardner-Webb.

Bert doubled in the first and scored on Emma Ogburn's two-out, RBI single to give the Paladins the lead. Two innings later, she ignited a 10-run outburst with a leadoff single that was followed by a Sieara Bishop single, Hannah Reynolds RBI double, Ogburn base on balls, and grand slam to right field off the bat of Smith. Relief pitcher Sam Harrell entered the game and walked the first two batters she faced before a run scored on a throwing error on Lauren Duggar's sacrifice bunt. Two batters later, Bert hammered a three-run blast to center field to up the margin to 10-0. Smith's RBI single capped the 10-run inning and gave Furman an 11-0 cushion.

The Paladins continued their hot hitting by plating five runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, highlighted by Bert's RBI double and another RBI single from Smith.

Bert (7-10) picked up the win after allowing just a run on two hits over five innings. She struck out four Bulldogs without issuing a walk.

Starter Mackenzie Thompson took the loss for Gardner-Webb allowing six runs on seven hits in two innings in the circle. She fell to 6-4 on the year.

Bert finished 4-for-4 with three extra base hits, while Smith was 3-for-4 with six RBI. Bishop went 2-for-2 with two runs. Megan Gibbons hit a solo homer for Gardner-Webb.

Game 2
Freshman Emily Demonte tossed a complete game in the nightcap to lead the Paladins to a 3-1 victory and a sweep of the Bulldogs.

Furman got all the runs it would need in the bottom of the second on Taylor Collins two-run triple off of the center field wall that scored Brittany Houston and Taylor Vahle to rally the Paladins after Gardner-Webb claimed a 1-0 lead in the first.

With one out in the bottom of the fifth, Reynolds belted a solo homer to left-center to add an insurance run and Demonte worked out of jams to strand a pair of runners in the sixth and seventh innings to close the game.

Demonte allowed just a run on six hits over seven innings to improve to 6-3 in the circle. She walked two batters and fanned three. Bert, Vahle and Collins each collected two hits apiece for the Paladins.

Devyn Terry (0-3) took the loss for Gardner-Webb after surrendering three runs on 10 hits over six innings. Jill Blank went 3-for-4 with two doubles for the Bulldogs.

Furman is idle until March 25, when it opens Southern Conference play at Chattanooga.



Jordan Caskey, Furman Sports Information