Clemson, S.C. – The Furman softball team dropped a pair of games during a non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon to the 18
th-ranked Clemson Tigers at McWhorter Stadium.
Clemson swept the doubleheader by scores of 3-2 in game one and 8-0 in five innings during game two.
The Paladins drop to 12-19 on the season while Clemson improves to 27-10 overall.
Game 1 – #18 Clemson 3, Furman 2
Marissa Guimbarda's walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh lifted Clemson to a 3-2 victory in game one.
Valerie Cagle (11-7) earned the win pitching a complete game and gave up two runs on four hits, one walk and five strikeouts.
Sierra Tufts (5-9) suffered the loss allowing three runs on three hits, with seven walks and three strikeouts in 6.2 innings of work.
The Tigers drew three walks and two hit by pitches in the bottom of the first and took a 1-0 lead when Guimbarda drew a bases loaded walk that scored Cagle.
Furman responded three innings later in the top of the fourth by scoring twice on
Natalie Morgan's fourth home run of the season to left field. Cagle retired the first two batters she faced before
Riley Ludlam reached on an 0-1 single down the right field line. Morgan battled to a full count and hit a 3-2 pitch just over the fence in left field to put the Paladins ahead by one.
Tufts started the bottom of the seventh by retiring Cammy Pereira and McKenzie Clark before walking Cagle on four pitches. Guimbarda worked to a 2-2 count and hit her 10
th home run of the year over the left field fence to give Clemson the one-run victory.
Morgan led Furman by going 2-for-2, including her homer, with two RBI, one run scored and one walk. Ludlam and
Emily Bartlett both had one hit.
For the Tigers, Guimbarda led all players with three RBI and went 1-for-2 with two walks and one run scored. Pereira and Sam Russ both collected one hit.
Game 2 – #18 Clemson 8, Furman 0 (5 Inn.)
Mille Thompson threw a no-hitter and Cagle and Arielle Oda both added two RBI to lead Clemson to an 8-0 win in five innings during game two.
Thompson (8-1) allowed one Paladin to each on an error in the first inning and registered two strikeouts.
Lauralee Scott (3-7) took the loss pitching one inning and allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits.
The Tigers scored in each of the first three innings, highlighted by a five-run bottom of the third.
Cagle drove in Clark with an infield single and Furman throwing error in the first. Oda delivered a two-run homer in the bottom of the second to extend Clemson's lead to 3-0. Cagle's two RBI single highlighted the five-run third while Clark, Alia Logoleo and Maddie Moore all had one RBI.
Ashlee Lykins led off the game for the Paladins reaching on a Tiger fielding error.
Cagle was 2-for-3 for the Tigers and had two RBI while Oda also tallied two RBI after going 1-for-2 with two runs scored.
Up Next
Furman steps back into Southern Conference action this weekend, April 9-10, traveling to Mercer for a three-game series.
