Greenville, S.C. – Junior Emme Buzhardt tossed 4.2 innings of one-hit relief and earned two saves as Furman notched a 4-1 victory over North Dakota State and 6-3 triumph over DePaul on the opening day of the 2024 softball season Friday at Boseman Field in Wilmington, N.C.
 
Furman 4, North Dakota State 1
 
Senior Sierra Tufts and Buzhardt combined to limit North Dakota State to a run on four hits over seven innings as Furman opened the 2024 season with a 4-1 victory over the Bison.
 
Tufts (1-0) tossed 5.1 innings, allowing a run on four hits to earn the victory. The Chula Vista, Calif., native walked three and struck out three on the afternoon.
 
Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the third inning, Ashlee Lykins led off the frame with an infield single before stealing second base. After the senior advanced to third on a groundout, Kiley Perry plated Furman's first run of the season with a grounder to shortstop.
 
Furman grabbed the lead in the bottom of the fourth. Ainsley Yoshizumi and Chrissy Fleming registered back-to-back base hits to opening the inning and moved into scoring position on a passed ball. Two batters later, Yoshizumi raced home on pinch hitter Lauren Woodall's grounder to third base.
 
The Paladins added a pair of insurance runs in the fifth inning to extend their advantage to 4-1. Kaitlyn Laudick worked a leadoff walk and moved to third on Sylvia Burrough's single to right field. Laudick and pinch runner Ansley Chiang executed a double steal to up the lead to 3-1. Chiang slid home on a throwing error by the Bison following Hannah Poole's strikeout to give Furman a three-run cushion.
 
With two runners on base and one out in the top of the sixth, Buzhardt came out of the Paladin bullpen and retired consecutive batters to end North Dakota State's threat. The righthander retired the Bison in order on three ground balls in the seventh to secure her first career save.
 
Burroughs, in her first game as the Paladins' catcher, reached base all three times going 2-for-2 with a double and base on balls. Yoshizumi went 2-for-3 while Alex Rose Molinar and Fleming each collected a single and a walk.
 
Savy Williams (0-1) took the loss for the Bison after giving up two runs, one earned, on six hits over four innings.
 
Furman 6, DePaul 3
 
Fleming and Perry belted home runs to key a five-run fifth inning as the Paladins rallied from a 3-0 deficit to top DePaul, 6-3, in Friday's nightcap.
 
Four consecutive Blue Demon batters reached safely versus Furman starter Angelina Ricciardi as DePaul plated three runs in the bottom of the first. A walk by Riley Pool, double by Brooke Johnson, RBI single from Carly Alvers, and RBI double from Brroke Cwick forced the Paladins to bring on righthander Lauralee Scott. She allowed one run to score on a wild pitch before getting the Paladins out of the jam.
 
After Furman got on the board via an error in the third inning, the Paladins exploded for five runs in the fifth. Fleming hammered a leadoff homer to left field, her first career roundtripper, before Fabio doubled to chase DePaul starter Katey Pierce. With one out, Lykins tripled to plate Fabio and scored when Burroughs reached on an error to give Furman the lead. Perry followed with a two-run blast off Blue Demon relief pitcher Brenna Smith to put the Paladins on top, 6-3.
 
Alvers reached on a single to start the fifth and Furman called on Buzhardt to relieve Scott. The Saluda, S.C., native got a fielder's choice before turning a double play on a line drive back to the circle to end the threat. Buzhardt worked around a leadoff double to retire the Blue Demons in the sixth inning and survived a two-out error to close out the seventh inning and earn her second save of the day. She compiled three scoreless innings of one-hit relief in the night cap.
 
Scott (1-0) picked up the win for Furman. The Greenwood, S.C., product tossed 3.2 scoreless innings allowing four hits with one walk in her first outing of the season.
 
Smith (0-1) suffered the loss for DePaul after allowing three runs on three hits over her three innings in the circle. Pool and Alvers collected two hits each to pace the Blue Demons at the plate.
 
Fabio finished 2-for-3 with a double and two runs for the Paladins while Perry went 2-for-4 with a homer and two runs batted in. 
 
Furman (2-0) is back in action on Saturday when it faces Northern Kentucky at 5 p.m. before taking on the host UNC Wilmington Seahawks at 7:30 p.m. at Boseman Field. Live statistics for this weekend will be provided by UNCW through StatBroadcast with links available at FurmanPaladins.com. Sunday's weekend finale versus UNCW will be streamed live on FloSports for a subscription fee.