Furman 3, Florida A&M 1
Furman 3, Albany 1
Guaynabo, P.R. -- Furman pitchers Emily Demonte and Lindsey Bert combined to allow just two runs on four hits while striking out 19 batters to lead the Paladins to 3-1 victories over both Florida A&M and Albany on Saturday at the Puerto Rico Classico in Guaynabo, P.R.
The sweep improved the Paladins to 14-12 on the season and helped Furman cap its run in Puerto Rico with a 4-1 mark.
Furman 3, Florida A&M 1
In the morning contest at Evelio Rivera Softball Park, Demonte improved to 4-6 in the circle by holding the Rattlers to just a sixth inning solo homer and three hits over seven innings. The Sumter, S.C., product matched a career-high for the second straight game by striking out eight batters with only two walks.
Furman got on the board first in the bottom of the third. Emma Ogburn laced a double to center field and advanced to third base when Lauren Duggar reached on a swinging bunt. Caroline Cash struck out and Ogburn was cut down at the plate on a fielder's choice, but Furman scratched across its first run when Bert reached on a two-out error that allowed Duggar to score. AnnaRose Borrelli followed with a single to center to plate Courtney Jacobs and up the lead to 2-0.
The Paladins added an insurance run in the fifth as Duggar led off the frame with a bunt single, moved to third with the help of a Cash single and Jacobs walk before scoring on Bert's grounder to second base that was misplayed.
Florida A&M (4-19-1) got on the board on a solo homer by Mies McBride in the top of the sixth, but Demonte retired the next four batters to secure the victory.
Veronica Burse took the loss for the Rattlers after allowing three runs, just one earned, on seven hits in six innings in the circle. She walked one Paladin and fanned four.
Duggar finished 2-for-2 with a pair of runs and a stolen base, while Cash went 2-for-3 with a stolen base.
Furman 3, Albany 1
Furman capped tournament play and avenged Friday's 5-2 loss to Albany by downing the Great Danes, 3-1, on Saturday afternoon at Donna Terry Stadium.
Bert (6-5) faced just one more than the minimum, while hurling her third one-hitter of the season and striking out a career-high 11 batters. The junior left-hander, who did not allow a walk, retired the first 13 batters she faced before Chelsea Henige lined a one-out homer to right field in the top of the fifth inning to tie the game.
Furman had grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third when Borrelli blooped a two-out single in front of the centerfielder to score Jacobs from second base.
With the game tied at 1-1 in the bottom of the sixth, Borrelli drew a leadoff walk and pinch runner Caroline Nageotte advanced to second on Kalie Hicks' bunt single. After Casey Bigham's fly out to right field moved Nageotte to third base, Elise Smith lined a single to right to drive in the go-ahead run. Two batters later, Brittany Houston singled to left-center with two outs to drive in Duggar and up the Paladin lead to 3-1.
Bert induced a grounder back to the circle and two foul outs in the seventh to finish the complete-game effort.
Bailey Turner, who allowed three runs on eight hits over six innings, took the loss for the Great Danes. She walked three batters and fanned four.
Houston finished 3-for-3 at the plate, while Cash collected two hits to give her four on the day.
Paladin pitchers have now allowed two or fewer runs in eight of the last nine games and boast a Southern Conference leading 2.18 ERA through 26 games.
Furman returns to action on Wednesday when it travels to Boiling Springs, N.C., for a non-conference doubleheader against the Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs.
Jordan Caskey, Furman Sports Information
