Greenville, S.C. – Redshirt-sophomore
Mackense Greico drove in five runs and registered three extra base hits in game one to power Furman to a doubleheader split versus Chattanooga 9-5, 0-3 in Southern Conference softball action Sunday afternoon at Pepsi Stadium.
With the split, Furman moved to 16-23 overall and maintained third place in the SoCon standings at 7-4. The Mocs moved to 11-22 overall and 6-7 in the league.
Game 1: Furman 9, Chattanooga 5
Greico doubled twice and belted a three-run homer to send the Paladins to a 9-5 victory in game one of the rain-shortened series on Sunday.
The Paladins jumped out to a 3-0 lead with three runs in the bottom of the first.
Emily Bartlett doubled with two outs and scored on
Riley Ludlam's single. After Greico doubled into the gap,
Claire Ginder singled up the middle to drive in two runs.
The Mocs plated two runs in the top of the third inning, but Furman quickly answered with three more in the bottom of the inning. Bartlett worked a leadoff walk and Ludlam doubled ahead of Greico's three-run blast to left-center field that upped the Furman advantage to 6-2 after three innings.
The Paladins added two more in the bottom of the fourth. A pair of walks set the table for Greico, who lined a double past the second baseman that rolled all the way to the fence to drive in
Ashlee Lykins and Ludlam.
Furman starter
Sierra Tufts allowed the first two batters to reach base in the top of the fifth inning, forcing the Paladins to call on
Bailey Tanner out of the bullpen. A wild pitch, RBI single and RBI ground out helped the Mocs to score a pair of runs, but Tanner limited Chattanooga to just one more run over the next two innings to shut the door.
Tufts (7-10), picked up the win after allowing four runs on seven hits over four-plus innings. Tanner, who earned her first save of the season, was charged with one run over three innings of work.
Greico added a walk to go with her two doubles and three-run homer. Ludlam finished 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI, while Lykins and Bartlett each reached base twice and scored two runs apiece.
Chattanooga's Hannah Wood (5-8) suffered the loss after allowing three runs on four hits in one inning in the circle. Courtney Ball went 3-for-3 with two runs for the Mocs and Liz Rodebaugh collected two hits and drove in three runs in game one.
Game 2: Chattanooga 3, Furman 0
In game two, Brooke Parrott tossed a two-hit shutout to lead Chattanooga to a 3-0 victory and split of the doubleheader.
Parrott, who tossed a complete-game shutout versus Auburn on Wednesday, walked three batters and fanned five in seven scoreless frames to improve to 5-6 in the circle.
The Mocs took the lead in the top half of the second when Hayleigh Weissenbach singled to lead off the inning, moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt, advanced to third on an error and beat a throw to the plate on Reagan Armour's sacrifice fly. Chattanooga added insurance runs in the sixth and seventh innings. Emily Coltharp opened the sixth with a single and scored on Weissenbach's two-out base hit before Courtney Ball drove in a run with a two-out, bases loaded infield single in the seventh inning.
Tanner (6-5) took the loss for Furman, allowing three runs, just one earned on six hits in six and onw-third innings of work.
The Paladins return to action on Wednesday when they travel to Clinton, S.C., for a 2 p.m. doubleheader at Presbyterian.
