YALE 8, FURMAN 7

GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Marc Sawyer went 4-for-4 and scored the go-ahead run in the seventh inning to lift Yale to an 8-7 win over Furman in baseball action Thursday night at Furman Stadium.

Trailing 6-5 after six innings, Yale (5-4) scored twice in the top of the seventh on a Sawyer RBI double that plated P.J. Gorynski and a Charles Bush double to left centerfield that drove home Sawyer, giving the Bulldogs a 7-6 lead.

Yale added an insurance run in the ninth on a one out double by Lavarnway that drove home Sawyer, who had reached on a single off Paladin reliever Nick Hollstegge.

Furman (4-11) threatened to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth after Tony Maccani led off with a single, and Jay Jackson followed with a base hit to centerfield that moved pinch runner Joey Rodgers to third.  Jackson then stole second base to give the Paladins runners at second and third with on outs.  Yale reliever Stefan Schroop, however, rallied to strike out Charlie Bailes before Nicholas Karow delivered a sacrifice fly to score Rodgers and make it 8-7.  Connor Lind was retired on a fly to right field to end the game.

Schroop (2-0) earned the win after working the final 3 1/3 innings and allowing four hits, a run, and a walk.  He struck out four.

Butch Pucetas (0-1), who faced only one batter, was charged with the loss after surrendering Sawyer’s game tying double and eventual go-ahead run in the seventh.

Furman was paced at the plate by Bobby Hubbard, who went 3-for-4 with four RBI.  Hubbard singled, doubled, and tripled in the contest, with his three bagger coming in the first inning to get the Paladins on the board after giving up a pair of unearned runs in the top of the first inning. Will Stembridge also had three hits and scored two runs for Furman.

Yale managed a 14-13 advantage in hits.  Lavernway helped key the Bulldogs’ attack with a 3-for-5 performance that featured a two-run home run in the fifth inning.