FURMAN RALLIES PAST ETSU 3-2
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Pinch-hitter Sam McLain’s two-out run scoring single in the bottom of the ninth lifted Furman to a 3-2 win over East Tennessee State in Southern Conference baseball action Friday night at Furman Stadium.
McLain’s game winning hit to center field off Buccaneer reliever Jarrod Hyder plated Andrew Greene from third base and capped a two-run ninth inning Paladin rally.
The victory was the second in as many nights for Furman (26-21, 15-13 SoCon), which knocked off nationally 14th-ranked Clemson 10-8 on Thursday. The loss was the fourth straight for East Tennessee State (14-31, 9-15 SoCon).
The Paladins’ ninth inning comeback began with Clint Hill’s one out infield single. Greene followed with a single to right field that advanced Hill to third, where he scored the game tying run after Buccaneer third baseman Shane Byrne allowed a Derek Norman grounder to get past him into left field. Greene then advanced to third on a fielder’s choice ground out and came home with the game winning run after McLain, pinch-hitting for Brandon Barrett, stroked Hyder’s first pitch to him into center field.
Furman’s ninth-inning heroics made a winner of Jon Stallsmith (4-4), who went the distance and allowed seven hits and two earned runs. The senior righthander walked two and struck out two in posting his second consecutive victory.
East Tennessee State lefthander Tim Turner (2-6), who pitched out of a noout, bases loaded jam in the first inning, appeared to be poised to gain the victory after surrendering only one run on eight hits and stranding 10 runners until the ninth. He exited the game in favor of Hyder with one out after the Buccaneer error allowed the Paladins to knot the game at 2-2.
Hill, Greene, Norman, and Frankey collected two hits each to pace Furman’s 13-hit attack.
Hill and Andrew Greene opened the game with back-to-back singles and Derek Norman walked to load the bases with no outs. Frankey followed with a sinking line drive single that charging Buccaneer rightfielder Jordan Abromovitz short-hopped and forced out Norman at second base. Turner then struck out Drew Latora and got Matthew Betsill to ground out to end the inning.
The game remained scoreless until the sixth when East Tennessee State took a 1-0 lead on an Abromobitz RBI single to right center.
The Buccaneers made it 2-0 in the seventh when Bo Callaway, who doubled with one out, scored on a Justin Clear single to right center.
Furman cut it to 2-1 in the seventh when Norman doubled with two outs and came around to score on a Frankey single to left field.
The Paladins and Buccaneers play game two of the three-game conference series
on Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.