Greenville, S.C. – Sierra Tufts struck out a career high nine batters, while
Emily Bartlett drove in four runs, to lead the Furman softball team to an 8-0 victory in six innings over the George Mason Patriots in its opening game of the GVL Showdown, Friday afternoon at Pepsi Stadium.
Furman improves to 4-7 on the season while George Mason drops to 3-3 overall.
Tufts (2-3), a sophomore from Chula Vista, Calif., threw her second complete game shutout of the season after facing the minimum over her six innings and allowed just one base runner on a leadoff single to begin the top of the second inning. She surrendered no walks and surpassed her previous career high of seven strikeouts, which came during her season-opening complete game shutout of North Dakota on February 11.
The Paladins used a five-run bottom of the fourth to break the game open after plating single runs in the first and second innings. Bartlett, a preseason first team All-SoCon selection, had a bases clearing double in the fourth to highlight the scoring while
Ashlee Lykins had an RBI fielder's choice and
Marina Griffin scored on a wild pitch.
Preseason first team All-SoCon pick
Riley Ludlam belted her second home run of the season in the bottom of the first to give Furman an early 1-0 lead. Lykins drove in her first run of the game with two outs in the bottom of the second on an RBI single to right field.
Natalie Morgan reached on a first pitch triple to right center field with one out in the bottom of the sixth and scored on Bartlett's RBI fielder's choice to secure the Paladins' eight-run victory.
Bartlett had a career high four RBI to lead Furman offensively and collected two hits along with
Alex Rose Molinar. Lykins provided two RBI and Ludlam one. Ludlam and Molinar each scored two runs.
Maddy Myers had the only hit of the game for the Patriots.
Cheyenne Van Pelt (0-3) took the loss pitching three innings and allowed four runs on five hits, three walks and five strikeouts.
The Paladins continue play at the GVL Showdown on Saturday facing George Mason (11:30 a.m.) and Iona (2:00 p.m.).
