Greenville, S.C. – Freshman Sierra Tufts hurled a three-hit complete game in the night cap to help Furman to a 4-8, 5-2 doubleheader split versus Big South Conference leaders USC Upstate Wednesday evening at Pepsi Stadium.
 
Game 1: USC Upstate 8, Furman 4 (8 inn.)
 
Marisa Soterakis singled on a two-strike pitch with two outs in the top of the seventh to drive in the game-tying run and the Spartans plated four runs in the top of the eighth to down Furman, 8-4 in game one.
 
Furman jumped out to a 3-0 lead on a two-run single by Natalie Morgan and sacrifice fly from Shelby Basso in the first inning. After the Spartans rallied to knot the game at 3-3 with one run in the fourth and two in the top of the fifth, Claire Ginder homered to the opposite field to give the Paladins a 4-3 advantage through five innings.
 
In the top of the seventh, USC Upstate registered back-to-back one-out singles to put runners on the corners and chase Basso from the circle. After Bailey Tanner came on in relief, Morgan picked a runner off of third base, but Soterakis singled on a two-strike pitch to drive in Celeste Delorenzo and force extra innings. 
 
With the tiebreaking runner on second to start the eighth, USC Upstate used a bunt single and throwing error to take the lead. Tiffany Domingue followed with a two-run blast to blow the game open.
 
Adison Yoder (3-0) tossed seven innings of one run relief to earn the victory for the Spartans. She walked two batter and struck out five by allowing only three hits.
 
The Spartans totaled 20 hits, including four apiece from Domingue and Madison Lanoux. Savannah Grigsby recorded three hits.
 
Basso suffered the loss for Furman allowing six earned runs on 15 hits in six innings. Emily Bartlett and Mackense Greico each went 2-for-4 at the plate for the Paladins.
 
Game 2: Furman 5, USC Upstate 2
 
In the nightcap, Sierra Tufts allowed just two runs on three hits over seven innings to improve to 4-7 in the circle. 
 
For the second straight game, Morgan singled off of the left field wall to drive in two runs in the first inning. After Upstate evened the game at 2-2 in the top of the third, Bartlett and Greico laced back-to-back doubles to put the Paladins in front, 3-2. Amanda Fleming tripled over the centerfielder's head to open the fourth inning and scored on Ashlee Lykins followed two batters later with a single through the right side to double the lead.
 
In the sixth inning, Lykins singled, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored an insurance run on Claire Ginder's single up the middle.
 
Starter Nyah Vogel (1-4) took the loss for USC Upstate (17-9) after giving up four runs on seven hits in four innings of work. 
 
Bartlett went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles while Lykins collected two hits and Morgan drove in two runs.
 
Furman (9-16) returns to Southern Conference play this weekend when it travels to Samford for a three-game series.