Game 1: Furman 7, WCU 1
Game 2: WCU 3, Furman 2
Greenville, S.C. -- The Furman softball team notched a 7-1 victory in game one and Western Carolina edged Furman, 3-2, in eight innings in the nightcap as the Paladins and Catamounts split a Southern Conference twinbill on Saturday afternoon at Pepsi Stadium.
The SoCon rivals will play the rubber game of their three-game series on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Pepsi Stadium. The game will be streamed live on the SoCon Digital Network with live statistics provided through StatBroadcast. Links for both can be found at FurmanPaladins.com.
GAME 1
Candace Johnson collected three hits, including a double and a home run, and Lindsey Bert surrendered just one run over seven innings to lead the Paladins to a 7-1 victory in game one.
After Western Carolina took a 1-0 lead in the first on a bloop triple to right field by Madison Armstrong and an RBI grounder to second base, Johnson evened the game by lining a solo homer to center field that tied her with AnnaRose Borrelli and Sieara Bishop for Furman's single season home run record with 10.
The Paladins gave Bert all the offense she would need in the bottom of the fourth inning when they exploded for six runs. Elise Smith and Hannah Reynolds opened the frame with singles and pinch runners Lauren Duggar and Sarah Windham came around to score when Emma Ogburn's grounder to shortstop skipped into left field and the centerfielder's throw back to the infield sailed into the dugout. A Brittany Houston single to left field drove in Ogburn to extend the lead to 4-1. Johnson doubled and Bishop walked to set the table again before Borrelli strokes a 2-out, 2-run single to center. Bishop also scored on the play after a throwing error by the Catamounts.
Bert scattered six hits to improve to 16-14 in the circle as she fanned eight batters without allowing a walk.
Bishop went 2-for-3 with a walk and Borrelli notched two RBI in the win.
Starter Taylor Sigmon took the loss for the Catamounts by allowing seven runs on nine hits in six innings. Just three of the seven Paladin runs were earned. Sigmon added a pair of hits and an RBI at the plate.
GAME 2
In game two, Furman rallied to force extra innings, but Western Carolina escaped in the eighth inning with a 3-2 victory to even the series at a game apiece.
The Paladins broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the sixth inning when senior Taylor Collins laced a two-out double into the left-centerfield gap to score Andrea Abbatiello from first base.
Furman starter Alex Sappington carried a no hitter into the seventh inning and looked like she was headed for a storybook finish on Senior Day, but Western Carolina's Crystal Cyr cracked a solo homer to right field with one out in the frame to wreck the no-hit bid and tie the game. Back-to-back double from Courtney Price and Victoria Mariscal gave the Catamounts a 2-1 lead.
In the bottom of the seventh, Johnson reached on an infield single with one out and Bishop followed with a safety to left field. Smith walked to load the bases and Borrelli looped a single down the right field line that chased home the tying run, but Western Carolina's Cyr threw out Bishop at the plate to send the game to extra innings.
The Catamounts regained the lead in the eighth as Abigail Daniels and Armstrong reached on back-to-back singles and Cyr broke the tie with a two-out, RBI single to left field.
Sigmon retired Furman in order in the bottom of the inning to improve to 12-13 after working two innings of relief and allowing just one run.
Sappington suffered the loss for Furman (25-25, 6-8 SoCon) to fall to 2-4. She allowed three runs on six hits over eight innings.
Johnson went 3-for-3 with a walk in the nightcap to finish the day 6-for-7 at the plate. Cyr went 2-for-4 with a homer and two RBI to propel Western Carolina (31-20, 7-7 SoCon) to the split.
Jordan Caskey, Furman Sports Information
