GREENVILLE, S.C. – Furman pounded out 14 runs on 17 hits and a pair of pitchers held Oakland without an earned run over 12 innings as the Paladins swept a non-conference softball doubleheader from the Grizzlies 5-1, 9-1 on Thursday afternoon at Pepsi Stadium.
Freshman Lauren Collier limited Oakland to just one unearned run on six hits in seven innings in the opener before sophomore Kayla Suskauer held the Grizzlies to an unearned run on two hits in a five-inning triumph in game two that improved the Paladins to 2-6 on the season. Oakland fell to 2-6 and have lost four straight.
Furman did most of its damage at the plate early in game one. In the bottom of the first, Hannah Pace drilled a two-out double down the left field line and scored when Collier followed with a triple under the glove of a diving Oakland centerfielder. Collier upped the margin to 2-0 when she scored on Jessie Homesley’s single to right field.
In the second inning, two singles and an error helped the Paladins load the bases before Pace delivered a single to left field that was misplayed allowing three runs to score.
Collier (1-4) scattered six hits and fanned two batters while issuing just one walk the rest of the way to earn her first collegiate victory in the circle. Pace and Homesley each registered two hits apiece in the Paladins’ first win of the season.
Marisa Everitt (1-1) took the loss for Oakland surrendering two earned runs on six hits over six innings. She struck out seven Paladins and walked one. Kylie Schalz collected two hits for the Grizzlies.
Furman jumped out to a 2-0 first-inning lead in game two as Stephanie Field and Katie Michaels each singled to start the bottom of the first ahead of Pace’s run-scoring double. Morgan Hughey followed with a two-out single to plate the second run.
The Paladins blew the game open in the second inning with a two-out rally. With the bases empty and two outs, Field drew a base on balls and Michaels was hit by a pitch. Pace singled up the middle to plate to drive home Field and notch her third RBI of the day. Collier followed with a single to plate Michaels and Homesley’s second hit of the day loaded the bases ahead of Hughey’s three-run double to center field.
Furman scored a pair of unearned runs in the third and Suskauer shut down the Grizzlies offense to pick up her first win of the season. The Tampa, Fla., native allowed just one walk and two hits in the five-inning, complete-game effort to move to 1-2 on the season.
Hughey went 3-for-3 with four RBI an Pace went 2-for-3 with two RBI to lead the Paladin attack in game two. Field was 2-for-2 at the plate with three runs as Furman out-hit the Grizzlies 11-2.
Abbie Richardson (0-1) took the loss for Oakland allowing seven runs on eight hits in 1.2 innings of work.
Furman returns to action on Friday, March 4, when it faces Louisiana Monroe in the opening round of the Tennessee Classic in Knoxville, Tenn. First pitch for Friday’s contest is set for 3 p.m.