Game 1: Furman 9, UNCG 6

Game 2: UNCG 3, Furman 0

Greensboro, N.C. -- AnnaRose Borrelli highlighted a four-run fourth inning with her school record tying 10th home run of the season as Furman downed UNCG, 9-6, and earned a doubleheader split with the Spartans in Southern Conference softball action on Saturday at UNCG Softball Stadium. UNCG rallied to blank Furman, 3-0, in the nightcap.

The Paladins (23-23, 4-7 SoCon) and Spartans (27-17, 4-4 SoCon) play the rubber game of their three-game series on Sunday at 1 p.m. Fans can watch the series finale on the SoCon Digital Network and follow live statistics at FurmanPaladins.com.

GAME 1
Furman tallied nine runs on 10 hits and a held off a late UNCG rally to earn a 9-6 victory over the Spartans in game one.

With the contest tied at 2-2 in the top of the fourth, Brittany Houston opened the frame with a double to left field and came around to score the go-ahead run on Sieara Bishop's double to center. Lindsey Bert singled through the left side to plate Bishop and Borrelli matched Bishop's school single season home run mark by greeting UNCG reliever Danica Bishop with her 10th homer of the season, a two-run clout, that gave the Paladins a 6-2 lead.

Furman added important insurance runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Taylor Collins raced home on a passed ball in the fifth and an Elise Smith double and Spartan error plated two more Paladin runs an inning later.

Back-to-back singles to open the bottom of the seventh and a two-run triple by Lindsay Thomas chased Furman starter Lindsey Bert from the circle, but reliever Emily Demonte shut the door to preserve a 9-6 Furman victory.

Bert improved to 14-13 in the circle after allowing six runs on seven hits in six-plus innings of work. She walked two batters and fanned four. Smith, who also delivered a two-run double in the first inning, finished with two doubles and three RBI, while Houston went 3-for-4 at the plate.

Stephanie Bryden suffered the loss for UNCG allowing five runs on eight hits in 5.1 innings to slip to 10-9.

GAME 2
In the nightcap, Alicia Bazonski (15-5) scattered six hits in a complete-game shutout to lift the Spartans to a 3-0 victory.

Danielle Vega drove in the first run in the bottom of the first after Thomas opened the frame by reaching on a double ahead of Vega's base hit. In the third inning, Vega singled to right field and Nicole Thomas came around to score after an error in right field.

A solo homer in the fourth was more than enough insurance for Bazonski, who struck out five batters in her seven innings of work.

Furman stranded nine runners in the contest, including leaving the bases loaded in the top half of the third. Candace Johnson led Furman with two hits, while Andrea Abbatiello collected a double.

Demonte (7-7) took the loss for Furman after allowing three runs, two earned, on five hits in four innings. Smith tossed two scoreless innings of relief for the Paladins in her first appearance of the season.

Jordan Caskey, Furman Sports Information