Johnson City, Tenn. – Brianna Bailey held Furman to just an unearned run in a complete game effort to guide ETSU to a 2-1 victory over Furman in the opening game of this weekend's Southern Conference softball series on Saturday at Betty Basler Field in Johnson City, Tenn.
 
Bailey, who improved to 6-6 in the circle, scattered seven hits over seven innings and struck out five Paladins as the Bucs claimed the series opener.
 
Furman broke a scoreless tie in the top of the fourth inning when Kiley Perry reached base on a two-out walk, advanced to third base on an error, and scored on Hannah Poole's single to left field. ETSU answered with its only runs of the day in the bottom of the fifth. A pair of singles and a walk loaded the bases with one out for the Bucs. Sara Muir lifted a foul ball down the right field line that Caitlin Goldwait caught in foul territory. The runner on third base tagged up and scored and the runner at second also came around to score when Goldwait's throw went towards second base.
 
Bailey worked around a single and a walk in the Furman half of the sixth before Paladin starter Sierra Tufts (7-7) escaped a bases loaded, nobody out jam in the bottom of the inning. Alex Rose Molinar and Ashlee Lykins reached base with singles in the top of the seventh, but Bailey got Goldwait to fly out to center to end the threat and secure the Bucs' first SoCon win.
 
Tufts, who allowed two runs on six hits in six innings of work, suffered the loss. Lykins finished 2-for-4 with a pair of singles to lead the Paladins' offense.
 
Furman (11-20, 3-1 SoCon) and ETSU (7-22, 1-3 SoCon) wrap up the three-game series with a 12:00 p.m. doubleheader on Sunday. Both games will be streamed live on ESPN+.