GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Furman softball team went 1-1 against the Youngstown State Penguins and Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs Saturday on the final day of the Furman Round Robin at Pepsi Stadium.
Furman started the day falling 5-0 to Youngstown State before holding off Gardner-Webb 5-4 in the finale.
The Paladins move to 9-18 on the season while Youngstown State improves to 4-18 overall and Gardner-Webb is 14-11.
Game 1 – Youngstown State 5, Furman 0
The Penguins plated five runs over the final two innings to defeat Furman in its first game of the day, 5-0.
Paladin starter
Lauralee Scott held Youngstown State scoreless over 5.1 innings before Reese Campbell-Schaller's RBI single put it ahead. After
Lily O'Bryan replaced Scott in the circle the next at-bat, the Penguins extended their lead to 3-0 on Cassandra Carlson's RBI sacrifice fly and a Furman error. Campbell-Schaller later scored on a wild pitch.
Youngstown State went ahead 5-0 in the top of the seventh when Ellie Hardman, who came in to run for Ayla Ray after her leadoff walk, came home on a Furman fielding error.
Kelsey Ogin (1-3) tossed a shutout for the Penguins to earn the win in the circle after giving up three hits on five walks and six strikeouts. Scott (2-5) took the loss throwing 5.1 innings and allowing four runs (two earned) on two walks and five strikeouts.
Hope Marshburn paced the Paladin offense with two hits in three plate appearances while
Caitlin Goldwait contributed one hit.
Taylor Truran went 2-for-3 with a run scored for Youngstown State and Carlson and Campbell-Schaller both drove in a run.
Game 2 – Gardner-Webb 4, Furman 5
Furman combined for four runs in the fourth and fifth innings to rally back for a 5-4 victory over the Runnin' Bulldogs in the final game of the Furman Round Robin.
Goldwait led off the bottom of the first with a double and later scored on Sylvia Burrough's RBI single. Gardner-Webb responded with single runs in the second, third, and fourth innings to lead by two.
Trailing 3-1 in the bottom of the fourth, the Paladins retook the lead after putting up three runs, all with two outs, highlighted by Goldwait's two RBI double to give them a 4-3 advantage. Marshburn cut Furman's deficit to a single run three batters early, plating
Rachel Hawkins with her RBI infield single.
Scott extended the Paladins' lead to 5-3 in the bottom of the fifth following her RBI double. Hawkins scored from second on Scott's extra base hit after reaching on a fielder's choice and advancing on a
Kiley Perry single.
Gardner-Webb loaded the bases twice in the fifth and seventh innings but were limited to just one run from Furman pitchers
Angelina Ricciardi and
Emme Buzhardt. The Runnin' Bulldogs had the bases loaded with one out during the fifth when Buzhardt came on in relief of Ricciardi and ended the inning with a double play. Gardner-Webb then scored once in the seventh and loaded the bases with one out. Buzhardt got the next two outs on a strikeout and fly out to earn her first save of the season.
Goldwait had a 3-for-4 outing at the plate for the Paladins with two RBI and one run scored. Three different players also compiled an RBI and seven recorded at least one hit.
Taylor Dreher collected two hits in two plate appearances for the Runnin' Bulldogs and Ella Christopher had a team high two RBI.
Riccardi (4-3) picked up the win tossing 4.1 innings and surrendered three runs on six hits, three walks, and no strikeouts. Hannah Frye (7-3) suffered the loss for Gardner-Webb pitching all six innings and gave up five runs on nine hits, three walks, and one strikeout. Buzhardt (1) pitched 2.2 innings of relief and surrendered one run on three hits, one walk, and one strikeout.
Up Next
Furman begins an eight-game road trip on Wednesday, March 12 traveling to Clinton, S.C., for a doubleheader at Presbyterian.
