Greenville, S.C. – The Furman softball team began play at the Furman Classic on Friday dropping a pair of games to the South Dakota Coyotes and Saint Francis Red Flash at Pepsi Stadium.

Furman dropped a 10-6 decision to South Dakota in game one and fell 12-5 in game two versus Saint Francis.

The Paladins fall to 2-4 on the season while South Dakota improved to 6-1 and Saint Francis 4-3.

Game 1 – South Dakota 10, Furman 6
The Coyotes hit three home runs and Kynlee Marquez earned the win in relief as Furman opened tournament play falling 10-6.

Riley Ludlam drove in a team high two RBI for the Paladins while Ashlee Lykins and Natalie Morgan both had two hits. Morgan recorded one RBI and Marina Griffin contributed one hit and one RBI.

Tatum Villotta led all players with three hits and three runs, and Courtney Wilson, Jordyn Pender, Clara Edwards and Aleesia Saintz all contributed two RBI. Sainz and Lauren Eamiguel both scored two runs.

Marquez (1-0) threw 4.1 innings of relief to pick up the win after allowing three runs (two earned) on three hits, two walks and three strikeouts. Lauralee Scott (0-1) suffered the loss giving up nine runs (seven earned) on 10 hits, two walks and one strikeout.

South Dakota struck for three runs over the first two innings until Furman scored three times in the bottom of the second, highlighted by Ludlam's RBI single, to tie the score at 3-3. The Coyotes responded with a run in the third and two in the fourth to go back in front 6-3. The Paladins cut their deficit down to 6-5 following a two-run fourth inning on RBIs from Ludlam and Morgan.

Sainz homered twice over the final three innings for South Dakota to increase its lead to 10-5. Furman plated a single run in the bottom of the 7^th on Griffin's RBI single to put the final score at 10-6.

Game 2 – Saint Francis 12, Furman 5
Rachel Marsden threw a complete game and collected three RBI to lead Saint Francis to the 12-5 victory over the Paladins.

Morgan led Furman with four RBI, including three off her first home run of the season, and Emily Bartlett provided three hits and one RBI. Ludlam added two hits and two runs scored.

Marsden was one of three Red Flash to record three hits and posted three RBI along with Jordan Frank. Lindsay Ward went 2-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored.

In the circle, Marsden (3-0) allowed five runs (four earned) on seven hits, two walks and eight strikeouts during her complete game performance. Sierra Tufts (1-2) received the loss pitching four innings and surrendered six runs (three earned) on eight hits, six walks and two strikeouts.

Saint Francis jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first before Morgan's sacrifice fly and ground out by Bartlett evened the score at 2-2. After falling behind 6-2 in the top of the third, Morgan trimmed the Paladins' deficit down to one with her three-run homer to right field, scoring Ludlam and Lykins.

The Red Flash closed out the game scoring three runs each in the fifth and seventh innings for the 12-5 win. Ward had both of her RBI in the top of the fifth and Frank contributed an RBI single. In the seventh, Marsden, Frank and Lexi Hernandez all registered one RBI.

Up Next
Furman continues play at the Furman Classic on Saturday facing Saint Francis (4:30 p.m.) and Georgetown (7:00 p.m.).