Boiling Springs, N.C. – WAC preseason favorite Tarleton downed Furman, 17-5, in the season opener and Gardner-Webb rallied to edge the Paladins, 10-9 in the nightcap of the Runnin' Bulldog Classic Friday at Brinkley Stadium.
 
Tarleton State 17, Furman 5
 
Tarleton State exploded for 17 runs over the first three innings and cruised to a 17-5 victory over Furman in the Paladins' season opener on Friday afternoon.
 
Braylin Pannill led the way For Tarleton State going 4-for-4 with three RBI while Mikayla Wilson batted in four runs and Madison Runyan and Mariah Debose each registered three RBI to power the Texans' 11-hit attack. Sadie Beck allowed four runs over three innings to earn the victory.
 
Pannill's two-run single highlighted a three-run first for the Texans against Paladin starter Taylor Miller. The Texans erupted for eight runs in the top of the second to extend the margin to 11-0. The first five batters reached base, including an RBI triple from Mariah DeBose and a two-run double off the bat of Macie Vickers. After the Paladins recorded an out, a pair of singles and a base on balls chased Miller. Hannah Reed greeted reliever Jamison Noonan with a two-run single and a wild pitch added another run before the freshman righthander worked out of the inning.
 
Furman answered with its first runs of the season in the bottom of the second. Back-to-back doubles from Eden Frederick and AB Cipalla got the Paladins on the board and Ansley Chiang added a second run with double into the right-center field gap.
 
An error opened the door for the Texans to load the bases with two outs in the third before a bases loaded walk, two-run single to third base and three-run double down the left field line by Wilson powered a six-run frame to up the Tarleton State lead to 17-2.
 
Furman added a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame. Sylvia Burroughs worked a one-out walk and advanced on Frederick's single ahead of Megha Shirey's two-run double down the line. Burroughs blasted her first homer of the season, a solo shot, in the bottom of the fifth to cap the scoring.
 
Miller (1-0) suffered the loss after allowing 11 runs, nine earned, on six hits over 1.1 innings. She issued four walks, hit a batter and was charged with three wild pitches.
 
Gardner-Webb 10, Furman 9
 
Gardner-Webb rallied from a 7-1 deficit to score a walk-off win over the Paladins Friday night in the final game of day one at the Runnin' Bulldog Classic.
 
Trailing 9-8 in the bottom of the seventh, Gardner-Webb's Haley Yeary reached base on a one-out error and Annicka McLaughlin kept the game alive with a two-out infield single. Caitlin Colley knotted the game with an RBI single to left and Reese Collier followed with a walk-off base hit through the right side to end the game.
 
Kalyn Kyle (1-0) came on in relief and held the Paladins to two runs, one earned, on five hits over five innings to earn the win. Furman reliever Kristyn Embler (0-1) took the loss after allowing six runs, three earned, in 5.1 innings of work in her collegiate debut in the circle.
 
The Paladins jumped out to an early lead with five runs in the top half of the first inning. A base on balls and an error set the table for Burroughs who sliced a two-run double into right field. Following an RBI groundout and a hit batter, Katie Peeler drove a two-run, opposite-field homer over the right field fence to cap the rally.
 
Gardner-Webb got a run against Paladin starter Jamison Noonan in the bottom of the inning, but Furman responded with two more in the top of the second. Frederick and Embler reached on base hits before Meghan Shirey lined a two-out, two-strike double into the gap to up the Furman lead to 7-1. The Runnin' Bulldogs loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the frame. After an RBI groundout and a walk chased Noonan, Caitlin Colley drove in two with a double to left field, but the Paladins threw out the runner attempting to score from first base to end the frame.
 
The bottom of the Gardner-Webb order loaded the bases in the fourth inning and Jalyn Tineo delivered with a two-run single. Collier gave the Runnin' Bulldogs the 8-7 lead several batters later with a single through the left side to score two runs. Furman tied the game on Ansley Chiang's RBI double with two outs on the fifth and grabbed a brief lead in the top of the seventh inning when Hope Marshburn's two-out single plated Embler.
 
Collier went 3-for-5 with four RBI to lead Gardner-Webb and Colley posted three RBI. Shirey, Burroughs, and Peeler each drove in two runs for the Paladins in the nightcap. Burroughs went 4-for-6 with two doubles and a homer over two games on opening day.
 
Furman returns to action on Saturday with a 10:00 a.m. matchup against Youngstown State before taking on Tarleton State at 12:30 p.m.
 
Runnin' Bulldog Classic
Feb. 7   Furman vs. Youngstown St.        10:00 am
            Furman vs. Tarleton State          12:30
Feb. 8   Furman at Gardner-Webb         12:30
 
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