FURMAN WINS SIXTH STRAIGHT WITH 14-0 TRIUMPH OVER CHARLESTON SOUTHERN
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Nick Mershon went 3-for-3 with a home run and scored three runs to power Furman to its sixth straight victory with an 14-0 win over Charleston Southern in baseball action Wednesday night at Furman Stadium.
Mershon, a freshman from Greenville, belted his fourth home run in the last five games and team leading seventh clout of the season in the second inning to help Furman (17-22) to an early lead. Case Cassedy also cracked a home run to extend a 12-game hitting streak, and Sam McLain doubled in a pair of runs to run his hitting streak to 11 games. Craig Caudill added a pair of hits and two RBI for the Paladins, who have now scored 67 runs their current winning streak.
Charleston Southern (17-24), meanwhile, managed only four hits in the contest, including only one, a game leading leadoff double off Furman starting and winning pitcher Ryan Hudson (2-2). The Buccaneers also committed five errors, leading to six unearned runs.
Nick Hollstegge pitched three innings of hitless relief to help the Paladins to their first shutout of the campaign.
Furman opened the scoring with a pair of runs in the second inning off Charleston Southern starter and losing pitcher Ian Holmen (3-4). McLain was hit by a pitch, stole second, and advanced to third on a balk before coming home on Dominic Frankey groundout. Mershon followed a home run, a solo shot to center field
The Paladins added two more in the third for a 4-0 lead after McLain laced a two-out, two-run double to right center field to drive in Cassedy and Derek Norman.
Furman combined two hits with a pair of Charleston Southern errors in the fourth to stretch its advantage to 7-0, and added four more in the sixth, highlighted by Cassedy’s two-run home run to right field, his fourth of the campaign.
The Paladins tacked on their two final runs in the eighth, taking advantage of two more Buccaneer miscues.
Furman returns to action on Saturday when it entertains Southern Conference frontrunner College of Charleston in a doubleheader at Furman Stadium. The first game of the twinbill will be televised live by Comcast Sports Southeast beginning at 2:00 p.m.