Greensboro, N.C. – UNC Greensboro rallied from 3-1 deficits in both ends of Friday's doubleheader with late home runs to sweep Furman softball 5-3, 5-3 in Southern Conference action in Greensboro, N.C.
 
With the sweep, the Spartans improved to 21-14 overall and 5-0 in the SoCon. The Paladins slipped to17-17 overall and 3-2 in league play.
 
UNCG 5, Furman 3
 
Tori Dalehite gave UNCG the lead with a three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth and Salem Ward escaped a bases loaded jam in the seventh inning to lead the Spartans to a 5-3 victory over Furman in game one of the series.
 
Trailing 3-1 in the bottom half of the sixth, UNCG opened the frame with a base on balls, sacrifice bunt, single, and stolen base to put two runners in scoring position. Furman starter Sierra Tufts got Jorde Chartrand to line out for the second out of the inning before issuing a four-pitch walk to Meredith Harwood. Anna White scampered home to trim the Paladin lead to 3-2 as ball four got away from Sylvia Burroughs. The lefthanded hitting Dalehite followed with a three-run blast to the opposite field to put the Spartans on top.
 
In the top of the seventh, Caitlin Goldwait greeted reliver Reese Byrd with a leadoff single forcing the Spartans to reenter Salem Ward in the circle. The righthander allowed a single to Burroughs and walked Kiley Perry to load the bases with nobody out. With the tying and go-ahead runs on base, Ward fanned Hannah Poole and got Ansley Chiang to line into a double play to end the game.
 
Ward earned the save by holding Furman to a pair of unearned runs on five hits over four innings of work while striking out five batters. Byrd (2-0) secured the victory after giving up just one unearned run on three hits in three innings in the circle.
 
After UNCG took the lead on an unearned run in the second inning, Furman answered with two in the fourth inning and another in the fifth inning. Goldwait reached base on an error by the Spartans' centerfielder and Burroughs singled to start the top of the fourth and Perry put Furman on the board with a single off the glove of the first baseman. Poole reached on an error to load the bases and Chiang was plunked by the first pitch from Byrd after she entered out of the bullpen, but the UNCG reliever induced three straight groundouts to limit Furman to two runs. Goldwait started the rally again in the fifth with a one-out walk before scoring on Poole's single to center field.
 
Tufts (8-5) took the loss for Furman allowing five runs on five hits over 5.2 innings. She walked four batters and struck out two. 
 
Poole and Burroughs each collected two hits for the Paladins while Perry went 1-fir-2 with a pair of walks. Brooklynn Maxwell finished 2-for-2 with two singles and two walks for the Spartans.
 
Lauer and Thomas both went 3-for-4 at the plate for Upstate. Lykins worked three walks for the Paladins while Perry and Ansley Chiang added doubles.
 
UNCG 5, Furman 3 (8 Inn.)
 
UNCG erased a 3-1 deficit with four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, including a two-run, walk-off blast from Meredith Harwood, to secure its second 5-3 victory of the afternoon.
 
Tied at 1-1 after seven innings, Furman took the lead with a pair of runs in the top half of the eighth. Lykins singled to open the inning and went to third base when UNCG misplayed Goldwait's sacrifice bunt attempt. Burroughs followed with a double down the left field line to put Furman in front, 2-1. After Perry lined out and Poole worked a walk to load the bases, Chiang singled inside the third base bag to up the advantage to 3-1.
 
UNCG wasted little time answering in the bottom of the frame. White doubled to left field to open the inning and Samantha Beck launched a two-run homer to center to even the game at 3-3. Angelina Ricciardi entered the game in relief for Furman, but Maycin Brown drew a four-pitch walk and moved into scoring position on a bunt. With one out, Harwood belted a walk-off blast to left field to complete the comeback for the Spartans.
 
Chartrand (2-0) picked up the win after retiring the only two batters she faced in the eighth inning. She followed Rhyann Jones, who allowed three runs on five hits over 7.1 innings of work.
 
Ricciardi (1-4) suffered the loss after giving up two runs on a hit and a walk while retiring just one batter. Lauralee Scott had kept the Paladins in the game by holding the Spartans to just two runs on two hits over 5.1 innings of relief after replacing starter Taylor Miller in the second inning.
 
Kaitlyn Laudick hit her first homer of the season and drew a walk for the Paladins. Burroughs finished with a double and an RBI.
 
Furman and UNCG battle in game three of the weekend series on Saturday at 1 p.m. in Greensboro, N.C. The contest will be streamed live on ESPN+.