Game 1 Boxscore: Furman 4, Sacred heart 3 (8 inn.)
Game Boxscore; Furman 5, Sacred Heart 0
Greenville, S.C. -- Senior Lindsey Bert tossed 14 consecutive scoreless innings and fanned 22 batters over two games to lead Furman to a 4-3, 5-0 doubleheader sweep of Sacred Heart as she matched the school record with her 71st career victory in the circle on Wednesday afternoon at Pepsi Stadium.
The sweep improved the Paladins to 18-4 on the season, while Sacred Heart slipped to 5-7.
In game one, Bert allowed three first-inning runs, but she bounced back with seven shutout innings to help Furman rally for the 4-3 win in eight innings.
Sacred Heart used a walk, hit batter, two singles and a sacrifice fly to jump out to the 3-0 lead that held until the bottom of the sixth. Caroline Cash led off the inning with a single and Bert reached on a one-out fielder's choice. AnnaRose Borrelli's grounder off the glove of the pitcher drove in Cash and pinch runner Amanda Fleming scored on a dropped fly ball to right field with two outs to cut the Pioneers' lead to 3-2.
Casey Bigham started the seventh-inning rally with a single to right field and moved to second on Lauren Duggar's sacrifice bunt. After fouling off three two-strike pitches, Cash lined a single to left field that was misplayed allowing Bigham to race home with the tying run.
With the international tiebreaking rule in effect in the eighth inning, Bert induced a popout and fanned back-to-back batters to keep Sacred Heart from taking the lead. The Tallahassee, Fla., native was placed on second base to begin the bottom of the eighth and moved to third on a grounder to second before scoring the winning run on a wild pitch.
Bert struck out 12 batters and walked three while allowing three runs on seven hits over eight innings to pick up the victory in game one. Sacred Heart's Kristen McCann (4-2) took the loss after giving up four runs, one earned, on four hits in seven and 1/3 innings. She fanned nine and walked three Paladins.
Cash went 2-for-4 with a run and a stolen base for Furman, while Fallon Bevino and Katelyn Christian each collected two hits apiece for the Pioneers.
In game two, Bert hurled a three-hit shutout and struck out 10 batters to improve to 11-3 in the circle and match Nancy Crisler's school record with 71 career wins.
Duggar provided all the offense the Paladins would need in the opening frame as she launched her first career home run to right-center to leadoff the inning. Cash followed with a triple into the gap and scored on Candace Johnson's double before Borrelli grounded a single up the middle to up the Furman lead to 3-0. After a hit batter and an error loaded the bases, Bigham drew a walk to force in a run and Duggar reached on an infield single to up the lead to 5-0.
Bert cruised the rest of the way striking out 10 batters without issuing a walk to earn her second win of the day. Shyanne Fennell (0-2) took the loss for the Pioneers allowing four runs in just 1/3 of an inning.
Duggar led the offense going 2-for-3 with a homer and two RBI.
Furman is back in action at College of Charleston's Holy City Showdown this weekend. The Paladins face Wright State at 10:00 a.m. on Friday before battling the host Cougars at 2:30 p.m. Furman will face Norfolk State on Saturday at 7 p.m. and cap the tournament versus Eastern Illinois on Sunday at 4:45 p.m.
