#7 Furman 3, #4 Chattanooga 2
FUR-UTC Box Score
CHATTANOOGA, TN ? Furman’s Stephanie Cushing went a perfect 4-for-4 from the plate, tallying one home run and two doubles in Furman’s 3-2 victory over fourth-seeded Chattanooga at Frost Stadium in the semifinals of the 2006 Southern Conference Softball Championship.
With the victory over Chattanooga, seventh-seeded Furman advances to the championship game of the SoCon softball championship where they will face off against the winner of the loser’s bracket at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 13. The winner of the loser’s bracket will have to defeat Furman twice to win the league championship, with the second game set for 4 p.m. on Saturday if necessary.
Furman also becomes the lowest seed in SoCon Softball Tournament history to reach the finals. East Tennessee State previously was the lowest seed in league history to advance to the championship game, moving on the finals as the fifth seed in the 2003 championship.
Furman acquired the first run on the scoreboard in the top of the second inning on an RBI single by designated player Blake Murray. Murray’s bloop single to center field scored Danielle Franklin, who reached base to start off the second for the Paladins on an error by Chatttanooga shortstop Ashley Cutticchia. Murray was placed in scoring position at second base after a sacrifice bunt by Abby Robertson.
Furman went up 2-0 in the top of the third inning. Cushing led off things with an inning-opening double to right center field off Lady Mocs’ starting pitcher Ashley Frizzell. One batter later, Furman’s Megan Jaudon singled to center field to score Cushing from second and give the Paladins a 2-0 lead.
Frizzell was pulled in favor of JayCee Wood by Chattanooga head coach Frank Reed after giving up the single to Jaudon, leaving the contest having pitched two innings. Both of the runs given up by Chattanooga in the two innings that Frizzell threw were unearned.
Furman’s Cushing commandeered her fourth home run of the campaign and her second RBI of the day in the top of the fifth inning when she smashed a home run over the wall in right field to give Furman a 3-0 lead. The home run would prove to be the eventual game-winning run.
Chattanooga found a run in the bottom of the sixth inning when Toni Hutchison singled in Ashleigh Bull from second base with two outs to make the game 3-1. One batter later Alyssa Edwards plated herself on an errant throw from Furman shortstop Cushing that could not be plucked successfully off the dirt from Furman first baseman Amber Nelsen, moving the Lady Mocs within one at 3-2.
Chattanooga will face the winner of the #3 Georgia Southern-#5 Appalachian State in the finals of the loser's bracket at 11 a.m. on Saturday.
Dating back to last Sunday’s season-finale victory over the Lady Mocs, Furman has now beaten Chattanooga in two straight games after dropping 23 consecutive games to Chattanooga prior to the 8-5 win in Greenville, SC on May 7.