Charleston Southern 7, Furman 6 (8 Inn.)
Furman 8, Charleston Southern 3
Charleston, S.C. -- Furman pounded out 11 hits and scored eight runs in the first two innings on its way to an 8-3 victory over Charleston Southern in game two of a softball doubleheader Thursday at Buccaneer Field. CSU rallied to win game one 7-6 in eight innings.
In game one, Furman tallied three first inning runs and plated five more in the second inning to claim the victory in a game shortened to five innings by darkness.
Brythe Blankenship led the way for Furman going 2-for-3 with two runs and three RBI. Freshman Morgan Hughey went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI and Abby Robertson delivered a two-run double to the Paladin attack.
Freshman Bethany Ullrich improved to 2-1 on the season limiting the Buccaneers to two earned runs on seven hits in five innings of work. She fanned two batters and did not issue a walk.
Caitlin Allen, who allowed three runs on four hits in just 0.2 innings took the loss for CSU.
In game two, CSU rallied from a 6-5 deficit in the bottom of the eighth inning to claim a 7-6 victory.
Gail Matsushima lined a single over Meredith Mielke’s head in center field to plate Tatjana Slawson with two out in the eighth to give the Lady Bucs the come-from-behind win.
Abby Robertson had given Furman a 5-4 lead in the fifth inning on a two-out, two-run single. CSU tied the game in the bottom of the seventh. Matsushima was hit by a pitch to start the inning and moved and scored when Ashley Conway followed with a double to right field.
Blankenship scored on a passed ball in the top of the eighth, but a Furman error and back-to-back singles allowed the Lady Bucs to escape with the win in the bottom half of the inning.
CSU’s Jamie Wellons claimed the win allowing three earned runs in eight innings of work. Lana Mackey (2-6) suffered the loss for Furman despite giving up just three earned runs while fanning six in 7.2 innings.
Jennifer Pardue led CSU (5-8) at the plate scoring three runs. Stephanie Cushing, who belted a two-run homer, and Robertson each collected two hits for Furman.
Furman (4-7) travels to Orangeburg, S.C., to face South Carolina State in a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Friday.
Presbyterian 7, Western Carolina 6
Presbyterian 8, Western Carolina 4
CLINTON, S.C. - Western Carolina softball (2-8) dropped its doubleheader 7-6, 8-4 to Presbyterian College (7-8) Thursday.
The Catamounts opened game one against the Blue Hose with two runs in the top of the first inning. With one out, Heather Pritchard drew a walk and stole second. Beth Hauser hit an RBI single to send Pritchard home for the first Catamount run of the game. After Michelle Tating reached on a fielder's choice, she scored off an RBI single by Mollie Fowler.
Presbyterian tied the game in its half of the first inning, putting two runs on the scoreboard to knot the game up at two.
After a walk and a pair of singles loaded the bases for Western Carolina in the top of the second inning, Pritchard notched her second walk of the game to send home Stephanie Beatty. Hauser grounded out on the next play but Casey Camp scored from third for the second run of the inning. Fowler came up and hit her second RBI single of the game to give the Catamounts a 5-2 advantage.
Presbyterian scored a run in the third inning and a pair in the fourth inning to tie the game at five after four innings. Western Carolina retook the lead in the top half of the fifth inning. With runners on first and second, Pritchard tallied her second RBI of the game this time thanks to a single down the left field line to score Camp.
Clinging to a 6-5 lead, relief pitcher Lilly McDonagh gave up a two run homerun with two outs to give Presbyterian the eventual game winning score, 7-6.
Tating started the game on the mound going three innings before being relived by McDonagh, who took the loss. McDonagh falls to 0-4 on the season.
Hauser, Fowler and Camp each had two hits in the game.
Junior pitcher Lauren Ross got the call to the mound in the second game. She lasted two innings, giving up all of Presbyterian's eight runs in the first two frames. Tating came into the game in the second inning and tossed five scoreless innings allowing just one hit.
Western Carolina was held without a run in the first four innings before posting three runs in the top of the fifth. RBIs by Jamie Swank, Pritchard and Amber Hawkins helped the Catamounts get on the board.
The Catamounts tacked on an additional run in the sixth inning. Keely Torgison hit an RBI single to score Tating.
Ross takes the loss in the game and falls to 0-3. Pritchard and Camp each had two hits in the game.
Western Carolina travels to Atlanta, Ga. Saturday to participate in a tournament hosted by Georgia State. The Catamounts open the tournament facing host Georgia State at 2:30 p.m. Saturday.