Cullowhee, N.C. – Second baseman Hannah Poole belted a pair of homers and drove in five runs to lead Furman to a 9-1 victory over Western Carolina in Southern Conference softball action Sunday afternoon at the Catamount Softball Complex.
 
The Paladins, who completed the three-game series sweep of the Catamounts, improved to 10-18 overall and 3-0 in the league. Western Carolina dropped to 9-15 overall and 0-3 in conference play.
 
Furman took control early in the season finale with five runs in the top half of the first inning. Caitlin Goldwait reached on a single and Riley Ludlam walked with one out. Freshmen Kiley Perry and Sylvia Burroughs followed with RBI singles to put Furman in front before Poole lined a three-run shot over the left-center field fence.
 
After Western Carolina got on the board in the bottom of the first, Poole added two more runs for the Paladins in the top of the third. Burroughs lined a one-out double off the base of the right field wall and Poole followed with a towering two-run blast to center. A pair of errors in the top of the fifth led to another pair of Paladin runs.
 
Junior Sierra Tufts limited Western Carolina to one run on four hits over five innings to up her record to 6-6. She walked two batters and fanned seven in the complete-game effort.
 
Goldwait, Burroughs, Poole, and Alex Rose Molinar each recorded two hits for the Paladins. Poole, who drove in five runs, finished the weekend with three homers, two double, and 10 RBIs.
 
Starter Makenzie Martin absorbed the loss for Western Carolina after allowing seven runs on nine hits in three-plus innings. 
 
Furman returns to Pepsi Stadium to host USC Upstate in its Strikeout Cancer doubleheader on Wednesday. First pitch if game one is set for 4 p.m.