Charleston, S.C. – The Furman softball team continued the non-conference portion of its schedule on Tuesday by splitting a doubleheader with the Charleston Southern Buccaneers at CSU Softball Complex.
Furman moves to 14-22 overall while Charleston Southern is 18-22 on the season.
The Paladins opened the doubleheader by taking game one 3-2 and the Buccaneers responded in game two with a 5-4 victory in nine innings.
Game 1 – Furman 3, Charleston Southern 2
Riley Ludlam homered twice and
Emme Buzhardt threw a complete game to lift Furman to a 3-2 victory in game one.
Ludlam, a junior from Fort Myers, Fla., gave the Paladins a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth on her two-run homer to left center field that scored
Alex Rose Molinar. Molinar began the fourth with an infield single.
Charleston Southern answered with two runs of its own in the bottom of the fourth to tie the game, but Ludlam came back in the top of the sixth with her second homer of the contest. Ludlam delivered a solo home run to left field, her fourth of the season, to put Furman back in the lead at 3-2.
Buzhardt, who was making her first collegiate start on Tuesday, ran into trouble in the seventh when the Buccaneers loaded the bases with two outs on two singles and a walk. The freshman from Saluda, S.C., after surrendering the walk, sealed the victory by getting SeaEnna Satcher to fly out to
Ashlee Lykins in center field.
Buzhardt (3-0) tossed the first complete game of her career to earn the win after allowing two runs on six hits, three walks and five strikeouts. Blake Holtorf (5-5) took the loss for Charleston Southern giving up three runs on five hits, two walks and three strikeouts over seven innings of work.
Ludlam, who collected the second multi-homer game of her career, led the Paladins going 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored. Lykins, Molinar and
Caitlin Goldwait all registered one hit.
Raleigh Lewis went 2-for-3 with two RBI for the Buccaneers while Satcher, Ashley Meckley, Rhiana Hubbard and Weslin Jones all provided one hit.
Game 2 – Charleston Southern 5, Furman 4 (9)
Jones' RBI single with no outs in the bottom of the ninth lifted Charleston Southern to a 5-4 win in nine innings during game two to split the doubleheader with Furman.
The Paladins struck for three runs in the top of the third to take a 3-0 lead highlighted by
Emily Bartlett's RBI triple to begin the scoring. Bartlett would score on the next at-bat when Ludlam reached on a Buccaneer error.
Alexis Larrow added an RBI sacrifice fly to left field that plated Ludlam.
Charleston Southern cut its deficit down to 3-1 in the bottom of the fifth before tying the score the following inning on Madison Koger's RBI single and a Furman throwing error. The Buccaneers looked to win the game in the bottom of the seventh against Paladin starter
Sierra Tufts when they had runners on second and third with one out. Tufts responded by getting back-to-back fly outs to send the game into extra innings.
Neither team scored during the eighth inning and then Ludlam put the Paladins back in front, 4-3, in the top of the ninth with her RBI sacrifice fly to center field. Molinar, who was placed on second to begin the inning and went to third on Bartlett's sacrifice bunt, scored on Ludlam's sacrifice fly.
Charleston Southern tied the game at 4-4 on its first batter in the bottom of the ninth when Koger, who was placed on second to start the frame, came home on a Furman error. Lexi Markle, who reached on the Paladin error, would advance to third on Hubbard's single and scored the game-winning run when Jones singled to center field.
Baylee Eaton (4-7) picked up the win in relief throwing 6.1 innings and gave up one unearned run on five hits, one walk and four strikeouts. Tufts (5-11), who started the game and then re-entered in the seventh, suffered the loss after surrendering two unearned runs on six hits, no walks and six strikeouts over five innings of work.
Molinar and Larrow both had a team high two hits for Furman while Larrow recorded one RBI along with Bartlett and Ludlam.
Hubbard finished with a game high three hits for the Buccaneers while Jones and Gracie Prince both had two hits. Jones finished with two RBI.
Up Next
The Paladins host their first Southern Conference series of the season this weekend, April 15-16, welcoming Samford to Pepsi Stadium for three games.
