Greenville, S.C. – The Furman softball team earned a 5-3 victory over UNC Greensboro in the opening game of a three-game Southern Conference series to snap the Spartans' 17-game league regular season winning streak and earn a doubleheader split on Saturday afternoon in Greensboro, N.C. The Spartans claimed victory in the second game, 10-0.
 
The Paladins (19-28, 7-7 SoCon) and Spartans (34-14, 13-1 SoCon) will play the rubber game of their three-game weekend series at noon on Sunday after first pitch was moved up an hour due to the chance of inclement weather.
 
Game 1: Furman 5, UNCG 3
 
Sophomore Sierra Tufts blanked the Spartans over the final five frames as Furman rallied from an early 3-0 deficit to stun UNCG, 5-3, in game one of Saturday's twinbill.
 
After giving up a run in the first inning and two in the bottom of the second, Tufts cruised through the final five innings to total seven innings with three runs allowed on eight hits. The Chula Vista, Calif., native walked four batters and struck out one while improving to 9-13 in the circle.
 
Trailing 3-0 after two innings, Ashlee Lykins reached on an infield single and put Furman on the board in the top of the third by stealing home. Riley Ludlam added a sacrifice fly in the frame to trim the UNCG lead to 3-2.
 
In the top of the fifth, Chloe Fabio reached on a passed ball and Lykins drew a base on balls to set the table for Furman. Alex Rose Molinar batted in a run with a fielder's choice and Ludlam gave the Paladins a 4-3 lead by drilling an RBI double into the gap to score Lykins. With the bases loaded and one out in the inning, Kaitlin Godwait bounced into a fielder's choice as pitcher Morgan Scott forced out the lead runner at the plate, but the throw to first was wild allowing Ludlam to score and stretch the margin to 5-3.
 
Tufts worked around a single in each of the final three frames to maintain the lead for Furman. Scott (20-10) suffered the loss for the Spartans after allowing five runs, just one earned, on four hits. She struck out nine Paladins and issued four walks.
 
Ludlam went 1-for-3 with a double and two RBI, while Lykins recorded a single, base on balls, and career-best three stolen bases to pace the Paladin offense. Makenna Matthijs went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI to lead the Spartans.
 
Game 2: UNCG 10, Furman 0 (5 inn.)
 
In game two, Matthijs laced a three-run triple off the right field wall in the bottom of the third inning and Jordan Gontram ended the game with a grand slam in the fifth to power UNCG to a 10-0 victory.
 
UNCG took advantage of two singles and two Furman errors to plate three unearned runs in the bottom of the first against Paladin starter Lauralee Scott. After a one-out walk and double in the bottom of the third chased Scott, Jessie Shipley worked a two-out walk and Matthijs cleared the bases with a triple off of reliever Bailey Tanner to double the lead.
 
Two singles and a walk set the table for Gontram in the fifth and the designated player forced the mercy rule with her blast to left-center field for her 16^th homer of the season.
 
Reese Byrd scattered four hits over five shutout innings to earn the win for UNCG and up her record in the circle to 11-3. She fanned two batters without allowing a walk. 
 
Scott (3-9) suffered the loss for Furman. The freshman was charged with five runs, two earned, on three hits in 2.1 innings of work. Tanner allowed five runs on six hits in 1.2 innings in the circle.
 
Matthijs went 3-for-4 with three RBI, while Gontram drove in four runs and scored two for the Spartans. The Paladins totaled just four hits, highlighted by Molinar's double.