GREENVILLE, S.C. ? Will Muzika went 4-for-5, scored four times, and drove in five runs and Furman raced to a big early lead en route to a 16-10 victory over Presbyterian in baseball action Thursday evening at Fluor Field.

 

The win was the second in two days for Furman (13-25) and helped the Paladins avoid a three-game season sweep by PC (11-25).

 

Muzika, a freshman second baseman from Spartanburg, S.C., singled, scored, and drove in four runs in his first three at bats to help to an early 11-0 advantage.  He later walked and scored in the fifth and completed his evening with a two-out RBI single in the eighth.

 

Reese Wade also contributed in a big way, going 3-for-4 with a two-run home run and four RBI, and Aaron Thompkins and Dylan Cole collected three hits in Furman’s season high 20-hit attack.

 

The Paladins wasted no time in taking an early lead, scoring four times in the opening frame against Presbyterian starter Chris Powell.  Muzika’s RBI single to right field scored Will Owens, and Wade followed with a towering two-run home to right center field to make it 3-0.  Will Miller kept the inning going with a triple off the center field wall and later scored on a Paul Nitto double down the left field line.

 

The Paladins combined five hits with a PC error to score five more runs in the second, with Muzika’s second hit of the contest, a two-run single to left field, providing the big blow..

 

Furman upped its lead to 11-0 in the third on back-to-back RBI singles by Muzika and Wade.

 

The Paladins led 15-4 after six innings before PC combined six hits with three Paladin errors to tally six runs in the seventh to narrow the advantage to 16-10.  Ryan Morris’ two-run single to center field was the catalyst to the Blue Hose rally.

 

Kevin Gottlieb and Daniel Stallsmith combined to tame the Blue Hose over the final 2 2/3 innings to secure the decision.

 

The Paladins’ big run support made a winner of Ian Parry (3-4), who allowed four runs, only one of which was earned, on six hits over the first five innings.  He walked one and struck out six.

 

Powell was charged with the loss after getting tagged for four runs in the first inning, the only frame he worked.

 

Mack Hite led PC at the plate, going 3-for-5.  The Blue Hose finished the game with 15 hits.

 

Furman commited five errors in the game, which led to five unearned runs.

 

The Paladins’ next game in Wednesday, Apr. 28 against UNC Asheville at Latham Stadium.