Greenville, S.C. – Furman scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, but Queens escaped a bases loaded jam to down the Paladins, 7-6, in non-conference softball action Wednesday at Pepsi Stadium.
 
Trailing 7-4 with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, Furman's Madison Petty reached on an error to start a Paladin rally. After Katie Peeler singled to right field and Kate Stoltzfus concluded a 10-pitch at bat with a base on balls to load the bases, pinch hitter Taylor Miller drew a walk to force in a run and trim the margin to 7-5. Caitlin Goldwait's RBI single to left field cut the Queens lead to one run, but Royals reliever Kenzie Forrester got Ansley Chiang to bounce into a fielder's choice with the bases loaded to end the game.
 
Forrester earned her fifth save of the season after allowing just two unearned runs on three hits over two innings of work while reliever Taylor Jones (4-4) surrendered only one run on five hits over 4.1 innings out of the Royals' bullpen to earn the victory.
 
Furman jumped ahead 3-0 in the bottom of the first when it sent all nine batters to the plate against Queens starter Jordan Dunn. Rachel Hawkins delivered an RBI double to open the scoring before Petty and Peeler recorded run scoring singles.
 
Queens answered with a pair of runs in the top of the second inning. After two quick outs, Paladin starter Emme Buzhardt allowed a walk and a single ahead of Jordyn Thompson's RBI base hit up the middle and Natalie Windham's two-out double. The Royals tied the game with a sacrifice fly an inning later and grabbed a 5-3 lead in the top of the fourth on Windham's two-run blast to left-center field.
 
Catcher Sylvia Burroughs pulled Furman within a run on an RBI single in the bottom of the frame, but Queens added a pair of crucial insurance runs, which turned out to be the difference in the game, when Makala Strickland and Lindsey DeRoeck drove in runs in the top of the seventh.
 
Paladin reliever Lily O'Bryan (1-5) suffered the loss after allowing four runs on six hits in four innings of work. She walked two batters and notched three strikeouts.
 
Windham finished 2-for-3 with three RBI for Queens. Kaylee DeJesus and Madyson Daughtry also recorded two-hit games as the Royals improved to 13-23.
 
Goldwait, Burroughs, Hawkins, and Peeler collected two hits apiece for the Paladins, who dropped their fourth straight game to slip to 13-26.
 
Furman is back in action this weekend when it hosts Southern Conference foe Chattanooga in a three-game series at Pepsi Stadium. First pitch of Saturday's doubleheader is set for 1 p.m. Sunday's series finale, which will be Little League Day at the ballpark, is also slated for 1 p.m. All three games will be streamed on ESPN+.