Cullowhee, N.C. – First baseman
Kiley Perry belted a pair of three-run homers to power Furman to a 4-5, 7-6 doubleheader split versus Western Carolina in Southern Conference softball action Saturday afternoon at the Catamount Softball Complex.
Game 1: Western Carolina 5, Furman 4 (9 inn.)
Pitcher Amanda Fulton delivered a walk-off single, her first career hit, to plate Lily Bell in the bottom of the ninth as Western Carolina rallied to defeat Furman, 5-4, in the opening game of the series.
After the Catamounts trailed 4-2, Maya McPherson tied the game with a sacrifice fly to center field in the bottom of the seventh to score Courtney Marks, who opened the inning by reaching base on a four-pitch walk.
The Paladins opened the eighth with a pair of walks and loaded the bases on
Sylvia Burroughs one-out base on balls, but Fulton struck out
Kiley Perry and induced a fly out from
Rachel Hawkins to end the threat. After Fulton got
Hope Marshburn to line into an inning-ending double play in the top of the ninth, Bell opened the bottom of the frame with a single, stole second base, and moved to third on a ground out before Fulton's game-winning single to right field on an 0-2 pitch from reliever
Emme Buzhardt.
Fulton tossed two scoreless frames and worked around a hit and a walk to improve to 10-6 in the circle. She fanned two Paladins. Buzhardt absorbed the loss after allowing two runs on three hits in 3.2 innings of relief.
Angelina Ricciardi started the game and worked 4.2 innings allowing three runs on five hits and four walks.
The Paladins, who drew 10 walks in the game, fell behind 2-0 in the bottom of the second inning as the Catamounts used small ball to open the scoring. Furman answered with a four-run fifth inning. Marshburn drew a leadoff walk, moved to third base on a passed ball and walk before scoring on
Caitlin Goldwait's RBI single off the pitcher's leg. Two batters later, Burroughs coaxed a two-out walk and Perry launched a three-run homer to give the Paladins a 4-2 advantage. The home run marked the 26
th in three seasons for Perry, who moved into sole possession of second on Furman's career list.
WCU got a run in the bottom of the fifth to chase Ricciardi before tying the game in the seventh and pushing across the winning run in extra innings. Sydney Dirks went 3-for- 4 for the Catamounts while Bell collected two hits and scored the winning run.
Goldwait and Hawkins each registered a pair of hits for Furman and Burroughs drew a school-record four walks. The Paladins left the bases loaded three times in game one of the series and stranded a total of 13 runners in the opener.
Game 2: Furman 7, Western Carolina 6
Furman used a five-run sixth inning to erase a 5-2 deficit as the Paladins captured a 7-6 victory over the Catamounts in game two on Saturday.
Trailing 5-2 after five innings of play, Goldwait and Burroughs reached on singles to set the table in the top of the sixth inning for Perry. The Alpharetta, Ga., responded with a towering three-run homer to left field to knot the game at 5-5. It marked her third three-run blast in the last three games and 27
th career home run.
Hawkins followed with a walk and
Katie Peeler singled to keep the Paladins' rally going with one out in the inning. Marshburn's base hit up the middle loaded the bases, but Fulton, pitching in relief of Makenzie Martin, got pinch hitter Madison Perry to foul out for the second out of the inning. With two outs,
Kate Stoltzfus delivered a two-run double down the right field line to plate Hawkins and Peeler to give the Paladins a 7-5 lead.
Buzhardt retired the Catamounts (21-28, 5-12 SoCon) in order in the sixth inning before Western Carolina mounted a rally in the seventh. A pair of singles put two runners on base before Natalie Henry lined a ball off the glove of Perry at first base that trickled into right field. Dirks came around to score, but Marshburn fired to second base to put out Becka Wonsick who dove back into the first base bag when she thought the ball was caught by Perry. Buzhardt got pinch hitter Tessa Juett to bounce into a fielder's choice to end the rally and hand Furman the 7-6 victory.
Buzhardt, who tossed 4.1 innings of relief, earned the win to up her record to 6-11. The Saluda, S.C., native surrendered just one earned run on four hits in her second relief outing of the day.
Perry went 2-for-4 with a double, homer, and three RBI while Burroughs went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs batted in. Goldwait notched two hits and scored a pair of runs for the Paladins.
Fulton, the hero of game one, took the loss after allowing five runs on six hits over three innings in the nightcap. Dirks collected two hits, including a home run, and scored three times. Henry added two hits and a pair of RBI in game two.
Furman (15-31, 5-12 SoCon) and Western Carolina conclude the weekend series with a single game on Sunday. First pitch at the Catamount Softball Complex is slated for 1 p.m. and the contest will be streamed live on ESPN+.
