Greenville, S.C. – Furman scored six first-inning runs and rolled to an 11-1 victory over Youngstown State in the final game of the day at the Furman Round Robin at Pepsi Stadium to earn Friday split. Gardner-Webb opened the weekend with a 9-1 win over the Penguins and 7-2 win over the Paladins.
 
Furman 11, Youngstown State 1 (5 inn.)
 
After dropping its first game of the day, Furman rebounded with a fast start to make short work of Youngstown State, 11-1. 
 
Doubles from Sylvia Burroughs and Kiley Perry got the Paladins on the board first in the bottom of the first inning. Lauralee Scott followed with an RBI single to push the lead to 2-0 before another single and a base on balls loaded the bases. Freshman Hope Marshburn blew the game open with a bases clearing double into the gap to extend the lead to five runs and later scored on a wild pitch to put the Paladins ahead 6-0 after one frame.
 
The Penguins (2-18) got on the board in the top of the third inning, but Marshburn ignited another rally with a one-out double in the Paladins' half of the inning. An error and a base on balls set the table for Furman and Burroughs knocked in Marshburn to up the lead to 7-1. Rachel Hawkins's two-run double proved to be the big blow of the inning, and the Furman third baseman raced home on an error to increase the Paladin lead to 10-1. Marshburn drove in Grayson Snead, who reached base on a leadoff single, in the bottom of the fourth for the final 11-1 margin as Furman forced the mercy rule after five innings.
 
Furman finished with 11 runs on 10 hits, highlighted by Marshburn's 2-for-3 performance with two doubles and career-high four RBIs. Perry doubled twice and freshman Katie Peeler also added two hits as the Paladins improved to 8-17.
 
Sophomore Angelina Ricciardi evened her record at 3-3 with a solid effort in the circle. The right-hander held the Penguins to a run on five hits over five innings while fanning four batters and walking two.
 
YSU starting pitcher Autumn Behlke (2-5) took the loss for the Penguins after allowing six runs on five hits and three walks while retiring just two batters.
 
Gardner-Webb 7, Furman 2
 
Gardner-Webb (14-9) plated seven runs on nine hits against Furman starter Emme Buzhardt over the opening four innings to claim a 7-2 victory over the Paladins after the Runnin' Bulldogs cruised past YSU in the opening game of the afternoon.
 
Following a scoreless first inning, Gardner-Webb used five singles to score three runs in the top of the second to take control of the game. Araceli Pesqueria's double and a two-out error results in the fourth run in the top of the third and the Runnin's Bulldogs put up another three-spot in the fourth to extend the margin to 7-0. With two outs and two on base, Ella Christopher delivered a two-run single and Pesqueria followed with an RBI double to do the damage for Gardner-Webb.
 
Rachel Hawkins drove in a run for the Paladins in the bottom of the fourth with an RBI double and delivered a sacrifice fly to trim the deficit to 7-2 in the bottom of the sixth, but Kalyn Kyle came out of the Gardner-Webb bullpen to toss two scoreless innings to shut the door.
 
Starter Anna Hornbaker picked up the win to up her record to 4-0 in the circle. She surrendered only one earned run on seven hits over five-plus innings. Pesqueria went 3-for-3 at the plate to power the Runnin' Bulldogs' 13-hit outburst.
 
Buzhardt was tagged with the loss after giving up six earned runs on nine hits in 3.2 innings. She dropped to 3-5 on the season. Hawkins finished 2-for-2 with two RBIs while Scot collected two hits and tossed 3.1 scoreless innings of relief for the Paladins.
 
The Furman Round Robin concludes on Saturday with three games. Gardner-Webb and Youngstown State get the day started at 9:00 a.m. before Furman rakes on the Penguins on ESPN+ at 11:30 a.m. The Furman Round Robin finale is slated for 2 p.m. Saturday on ESPN+ with the Paladins facing Gardner-Webb. 
 
Admission is free to all six games this weekend at Pepsi Stadium and fans can access live stats for each game at the links below.
 
FURMAN ROUND ROBIN SCHEDULE
Friday
Gardner-Webb 9, Youngstown State 1
Gardner-Webb 7, Furman 2
Furman 11, Youngstown State 1 (5 inn.)
Saturday
9:00 – Youngstown State vs. Gardner-Webb (Live Stats)
^11:30 – Youngstown State at Furman (Live Stats)
^2:00 – Gardner-Webb at Furman (Live Stats)
 
-Team listed second is home
^-streamed on ESPN+