Greenville, S.C. – The Furman softball team dropped a 9-5 decision to Binghamton and a 4-2 verdict versus Towson on Saturday in the Furman Invitational at Pepsi Stadium.
Binghamton 9, Furman 5
Binghamton rallied from a 4-2 deficit with four runs in the top of the fifth inning and three more in top of the sixth to down the Paladins, 9-5. Emma Lawson capped the four-run outburst in the fifth with a pinch-hit, two-run single to put the Bearcats in front. Alayna Harbaugh delivered an RBI single in the sixth and Brianna Santos stroked a two-single up the middle to up the margin to 9-4.
Lindsey Walter (1-0) came on in relief and picked up the victory for Binghamton after limiting the Paladins to an unearned run on three hits over 3.1 innings. Furman starter
Sierra Tufts (1-2) suffered the loss allowing seven runs on seven hits in five innings.
The Paladins grabbed a 2-1 lead in the first on
Kiley Perry's two-run blast and
Hana Hashioka ripped a leadoff triple down the right field line in the second and scored on a two-out error. After Binghamton had cut the lead to a single run,
Ainsley Yoshizumi walked, stole second base, and sprinted home on
Riley Ludlam's single to put the Paladins up 4-2 in the bottom of the third.
Harbaugh went 3-for-4 and scored three runs to key the Bearcats' 11-hit attack. Perry finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs for the Paladins.
Towson 4, Furman 2
In the nightcap, Towson plated four runs in the top of the fifth to take a 4-0 lead and held off a late Furman charge to claim a 4-2 victory.
The Tigers loaded the bases with a single and two walks in the fifth before three runs raced home on a Paladin throwing error. Towson added a fourth run on Alyssa Mynit's sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 4-0.
Hashioka singled to lead off the bottom of the frame and scored on a two-out error. The following inning, Towson put runners on the corners with one out, but Perry came on for her first collegiate appearance in the circle and recorded back-to-back strikeouts to end the threat.
In the bottom of the sixth, Hashioka came through again with a two-out, RBI single before Towson picked the runner off base in a first and third situation to preserve the 4-2 lead. Furman threatened again in the seventh as
Kaitlyn Laudick and
Caitlin Goldwait reached on singles and moved to second and third on a throwing error. Towson's Erin Brown rebounded, however, to retire
Ashlee Lykins and strand two runners in scoring position to end the game.
Brown (1-1) held the Paladins to a pair of unearned runs on five hits in a complete-game effort. She walked just one batter. Starter
Emme Buzhardt (0-1) took the loss for the Paladins after giving up four runs on six hits over five-plus innings.
Hashioka notched two hits for Furman (2-4), while Briana Ramirez, Emma Armstrong, and Myint recorded two hits apiece for the Tigers (2-1).
The Paladins conclude the Furman Invitational when they face Bellarmine at 2 p.m. on Sunday. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+.
Furman Invitational (Live Stats Link)
Friday
Binghamton 3, Bellarmine 0
Binghamton 3, Towson 2
Sacred Heart 9, Bellarmine 4
Furman 10, Sacred Heart 2 (5 inn.)
Saturday
Bellarmine 13, Sacred Heart 2
Sacred Heart 2, Binghamton 0
Towson 3, Bellarmine 1
Binghamton 9, Furman 5
Towson 4, Furman 2
Sunday
9:00 a.m. Sacred Heart vs. Towson
https://statb.us/b/460226
11:30 a.m. Binghamton vs. Towson
https://statb.us/b/460227
2:00 p.m. Bellarmine at Furman
https://statb.us/b/440745
*Team listed 2
nd is home team and occupies the 3
rd base dugout
