Greenville, S.C. – East Carolina's Bailey Ledvina belted three home runs to lead the Pirates to a 7-1, 12-4 sweep of Furman in the season-opening softball doubleheader for both schools Friday afternoon at Pepsi Stadium.
Game 1
In the season opener, Ledvina cracked a pair of homers and drove in four to help ECU claim a 7-1 victory.
The Pirates took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third on Ashleigh Inae's two-out single to center field. Ledvina drilled the first of her two homers in the fourth, a solo shot, and Chandley Garner singled in a run the following inning. Ledina capped the scoring with a three-run blast in the top of the seventh.
Kama Woodall (1-0) earned the victory for the Pirates allowing one run on four hits over five innings. Erin Peopping came on to escape a sixth-inning jam and fanned four batters over two innings to earn a save.
Olivia Narron, Inae and Ledvina each collected two hits for the Pirates, who totaled nine hits on the day.
Mackense Greico drove in Furman's lone run in the bottom of the third with a double into the left field corner to drive in
Natalie Morgan.
Mariah Bohl went 1-for-2 with a pair of walks for the Paladins, while Morgan reached base three times and stole a base.
Junior
Bailey Tanner (0-1) suffered the loss for the Paladins after allowing three earned runs on eight hits over five innings. She walked one batter and fanned two.
Game 2
In the nightcap, East Carolina exploded for 12 runs on 14 hits en route to a 12-4 victory.
The Pirates struck for three in the first inning, highlighted by a two-run single from Ledvina. After pitcher
Shelby Basso blasted a solo home run for the Paladins in her first career at bat, ECU added three more runs in the top of the fourth. Narron tripled down the line with two outs to score two runs and Inae followed with an RBI double down the line to up the lead to 6-1.
Greico hammered a two-run, opposite field homer in the bottom of the fourth, but Sophie Wools of ECU answered with a two-run blast of her own in the fifth inning.
Kaitlyn Laudick drove in a run for the Paladins in the sixth before Ledvina's third homer of the night keyed a four-run seventh inning for the Pirates.
Peopping earned the win in game two by allowing just one run on three hits over four innings. She fanned eight batters and walked just two. Basso (0-1) took the loss for the Paladins after giving up eight earned runs over seven innings of work.
Ledvina went 3-for-4 with three runs and three RBI in game two for East Carolina, while Narron finished 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBI. Basso collected a pair of hit for the Paladins.
The Paladins return to action next weekend at the Winthrop Kickoff Tournament. Furman faces Marshall and Bowling Green on Saturday, February 20, before battling the Thundering Herd and Winthrop on Sunday, February 21.
