Furman 3, Georgia State 1
Furman 6, Georgia State 2
ATLANTA - Furman's Natalie Clemmons, Taylor Collins and Taylor Jenkins combined to belt five home runs and pitchers Lindsey Bert and Alex Sappington limited one of the nation's leading offenses to just three runs over 14 innings as the Paladins completed a 3-1, 6-2 doubleheader sweep of Georgia State on Wednesday afternoon at Bob Heck Field.
The sweep improved the Paladins to 17-16 on the season, while Georgia State, ranked No. 37 in the latest NCAA Softball RPI, fell to 23-12.
In the opener, Bert held Georgia State, ranked among the top 15 in NCAA Division I in batting average, home runs, runs per game and slugging percentage, to a single run on seven hits over seven innings to lead Furman to a 3-1 triumph.
Jenkins put the Paladins in front with a line drive homer to left field in the top of the second inning and drove in Furman's second run in the top of the fourth on a grounder to third base. Bert stranded a pair of GSU runners in the third, fourth and sixth innings and Clemmons upped the margin to 3-0 in the top of the seventh with a solo home run to left field with one out.
Georgia State loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the seventh and scored its first run of the afternoon when Callie Alford was hit by a Bert pitch, but the Paladin freshman got Megan Litumbe to fly out to center field to end the game and leave the bases loaded.
Bert fanned nine batters over seven innings and issued just two walks to improve her record to 12-8.
Katie Worley suffered the loss for the Panthers after giving up three runs on four hits in seven innings. She walked two and struck out six in the complete-game performance.
Sappington tossed a complete game and Furman exploded for a five-run fifth inning to complete the sweep of the Panthers with a 6-2 decision in the nightcap.
Sappington (3-8) allowed just two runs on eight hits and stranded seven GSU runners to earn the victory. She walked only one batter and recorded two strikeouts against a Panther lineup that entered the day with a .344 batting average.
After three scoreless inning, Furman jumped in front in the top half of the fourth inning. Elise Smith began the frame with a single up the middle and scored two batters later when Clemmons hammered a two-run homer, her second of the twinbill, off of the base of the Georgia State hitting facility beyond the left field wall. Following a four-pitch walk to Collins, Eron Milton came on in relief of GSU starter Taylor Thorpe. She hit Ambree Muller with a pitch and fanned Hope Smith for the second out of the inning before Jenkins slugged a 3-1 pitch over the left-center field fence for a three-run homer to put Furman in front 5-0.
The Panthers plated a run in the bottom of the fourth, but Collins delivered a solo shot to left field in the top of the sixth to restore the Paladins' five-run advantage. Georgia State got a leadoff triple and an RBI groundout to begin the bottom of the seventh before Sappington sat down the next two batters to clinch the win.
Jenkins, who joined Clemmons in homering in both games, went 2-for-4 with a double, home run and three RBI to pace Furman's seven-hit attack in game two.
Thorpe, who allowed three runs on three hits and three walks over three and 1/3 innings, suffered the loss for the Panthers to fall to 11-2 in the circle.
The Paladins return home to host Southern Conference newcomer Mercer in a three-game series this weekend at Pepsi Stadium.
ETSU 5, Radford 3
Radford 7, ETSU 6
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. - ETSU split a non-conference doubleheader versus Radford on Wednesday, earning a 5-3 victory in the day's opening game before succombing to a Radford rally in Game Two and falling, 7-6.
ETSU and Radford also split a pair of games during ETSU's Holiday Inn Invitational in early March.
Radford jumped out to an early 3-0 advantage in Game One of Wednesday's twin bill, with Kayla Bishton and Mackenzie Blackwell each hitting solo home runs in the second inning.
The Buccaneers (12-19) then responded with two homers of their own—a three-run blast by Cassi Pickett in the third, and a solo shot by Kelsey Smith in the fourth—to take a 4-3 lead.
Taylor Carter added an insurance run in the sixth inning for the Bucs (12-19), driving a single to centerfield to score Jenine Duncan and extend ETSU's lead to 5-3.
Carter earned the win in the pitcher's circle by allowing just one earned run in six-and-two-thirds innings of work. Her six strikeouts matched a career-high.
In Game Two, the Bucs were within two outs of earning the doubleheader sweep and season series victory before the Highlanders (9-18) mounted a miraculous comeback in their final frame.
Home runs by Smith and Alex Everett gave the Bucs' a 4-0 advantage heading into the final inning.
ETSU starter Madison Ogle carried a five-hit shutout into the seventh and retired Radford's leadoff batter, leaving the Highlanders with only a pair of outs to deal with a four-run deficit.
With two outs and Radford runners on second and third, the Highlanders' Becky Mantel spoiled Ogle's shutout bid, belting a three-run homer to left field to cut Radford's deficit to 4-3.
Three consecutive Radford hits then plated two runs, giving the Highlanders a 5-4 advantage and forcing Ogle from the game.
On reliever Rebecca Wahrmund's second pitch of the game, Radford's Whitney Davis drove a two-run home run to left field, extending the Highlanders' lead to 7-4.
Duncan led off ETSU's half of the seventh with a single to left field before being retired at second base on a Nicole Fox fielder's choice.
Fox advanced to second on a passed ball before Everett drew a walk to put runners on first and second for the Bucs with one out.
Pickett then drew a walk on five pitches to load the bases and force Radford reliever Taylor Brown from the game.
Facing Radford's Kelsey Weddle, who started Game One of Wednesday's doubleheader for the Highlanders, Smith drove a single through the left side to score Fox, cutting the Bucs' deficit to 7-5.
Casey Horner then hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield to score Brooke Baxter, who pinch ran for Everett.
Down by just one run, Weddle led Carter to fly out to center field to end the game and seal the doubleheader and season series split.
ETSU will resume Southern Conference competition this weekend as the Bucs visit Samford for a three-game series in Birmingham, Ala.
The Bucs' next home contest will be Tuesday, April 14 versus No. 11 Tennessee at 6:00 p.m.