May 5, 2001
FURMAN RIDES 19-HIT ATTACK TO 16-7 WIN OVER WOFFORD,
TIES SEASON WIN STANDARD
GREENVILLE -- Derek Norman went 4-for-5, belted a two-run home run, and scored three times to pace a 19-hit attack in leading Furman to a 16-7 win over Wofford in Southern Conference baseball action Saturday night at Furman Stadium.
Norman, a freshman Knoxville, Tenn., helped Furman (29-21, 17-11 SoCon) erase an early 5-0 deficit on the way to posting its second win over Wofford ( 16-27, 9-13 SoCon) in consecutive nights and eighth straight triumph over the Terriers. The victory also matched Furman's record for wins in a season, and the 17 conference victories broke the school record for league wins in a season.
A two-run home run by Wofford's Chris Cotugno off Paladin starter Corey Etheridge in the first inning opened the scoring, and later in the third Cotugno connected again off Etheridge with a three-run blast to center field to stake the Terriers to a 5-0 lead.
Wofford's advantage didn't last long as Furman answered in the bottom of the third with five runs against Terrier starter George Lehr (6-6), highlighted by a two-run double by Danny Rueckel and a Dominic Frankey two-run home run to left field.
The Paladins took the lead for good in the fourth, scoring three runs to make it an 8-5 contest following a two-run double by Justin Maderer, who later scored on a single by Frankey.
Furman stretched its lead to 11-6 with three more runs in the sixth. A Maderer single to center field plated two runs, and an Adam Etherington double that scored Cole Hubka accounted for the third run of the frame.
The Paladins blew the game open with a five-run seventh that included a Norman two-run home run to left field off Terrier reliever Jason Lynch and a two-run single by Hubka, who later scored on Etherington's second double of the game.
Rusty Putnman (1-3), who surrendered a pair of runs and five hits in four innings of relief, was the pitching beneficiary of Furman's season high 19-hit attack that saw seven Paladins collect at least two hits. In addition to Norman, Furman got solid plate production from Rueckel (3-for-5, 2 RBI, 4 runs), Maderer (2-for-4, 4 RBI, 3 runs), Frankey (3-for-5, 3 RBI, 2 runs), and Hubka (3-for-4, 2 RBI).
Winners of nine of their last 12 games, Furman will be gunning for its second conference series sweep of the season on Sunday when senior lefthander and staff ace Toby David (8-3) takes the hill against the Terriers in a 1:00 p.m. game.