Nashville, Tenn. -- Pitcher Ashley Rainey belted a solo homer on an 0-2 pitch with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift Troy to a 6-5 victory over Furman in the final game for both schools at the Purple and Gold Challenge at Lipscomb's Draper Diamond on Sunday afternoon.

With her first homer of the season, Rainey helped herself earn the victory in the circle to improve to 9-5. She allowed just two runs on seven hits over six innings of work while walking two and striking out two.

Furman's Lindsey Bert (5-8) suffered the loss after allowing six runs on 10 hits in six and 2/3 innings or work. The left-hander recorded eight strikeouts in the loss.

Troy (16-5) jumped in front on Erica Davis' two-run, opposite field homer in the bottom of the first before Furman answered in the top of the second. Bert tripled into the right field corner and scored on Elise Smith single to right-center with one out.

The Paladins (10-11) knotted the game at 2-2 in the top of the fourth inning when first baseman AnnaRose Borrelli lined a solo homer over the center field fence. It marked Borrelli's third home run of the weekend and team-leading seventh of the season.

Carli Kayler put the Trojans back in front by two runs in the bottom of the fifth with a two-out, bloop single down the right field line. Once again, Furman answered quickly. Andrea Abbatiello led off the sixth with a walk, Sieara Bishop doubled and Borrelli reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases with nobody out. Emma Ogburn tied the game with a two-run single to center that scored Abbatiello and Bishop, but Troy escaped further trouble with a fielder's choice and 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.

After Troy regained the lead on an infield single by Kate Benton in the bottom of the sixth, Abbatiello pulled Furman even again in the seventh by doubling down the third base line to score Taylor Collins with two outs.

Bert struck out the first two batters of the bottom of the seventh before Rainey's blast won the game for the Trojans.

Benton went 3-for-4 with a stolen base to lead Troy. Kayler and Davis drove in two runs apiece.

Bishop doubled and walked twice for Furman, while Bert went 2-for-3 at the plate.

Furman returns to action March 11-13, at the Chanticleer Challenge in Conway, S.C.



Jordan Caskey, Furman Sports Information