GEORGIA SPLITS DOUBLEHEADER WITH FURMAN

Athens, GA ---- The University of Georgia softball team (20-23) split a pair of games with Furman (21-23) winning 8-0 in six innings in the first game of the doubleheader and losing 4-3 in 11 innings in the second game.

Georgia banged out nine hits, had seven stolen bases and scored eight runs, while senior pitcher Natalie Price limited Furman to one hit enroute to the victory in the first game. Price had her fifth shutout of the season and had a perfect game through three and two thirds innings. Georgia started off early in the first inning as Corin Tassio had a sacrifice fly to score Michelle Tyree and give the Bulldogs an early 1-0 lead. Tassio had a two-RBI double to help key a four-run third inning and push the score to 5-0. In the sixth inning Tyree had an RBI single and Monique Rhoden had a two-RBI single to give Georgia the remainder of its runs and push the Bulldogs to the 8-0 victory.

In the second game Georgia was again helped by a strong performance from Price as she went six innings and only gave up one run. The Bulldogs led 1-0 going into the seventh looking to complete the doubleheader sweep, but Erin Keen, from Furman, led off with a double and scored on an error to tie the score at one and Melissa Hutton delivered a one-out single off of Georgia pitcher Rocky Castillo to give the Paladins a 2-1 lead going to the bottom of the seventh. With two outs in the bottom of the seventh down 0-2 in the count Rhoden delivered a triple in the gap to score pinch runner Julie Raiskums and tie the game at two to send it to extra innings. Neither team would score a run until the 10th when the teams exchanged runs to tie the game at three. In the 11th inning Chrissy Hacker delivered a bloop single that dropped in between in the first and second baseman to score Kay Brittain to take the 4-3 lead. Rhoden missed out on a second chance to play the hero's role when she grounded out with Sabrina Pimentel on third to end the extra inning affair.

"We hit the ball well tonight," said Georgia assistant coach Steve Chattin. We just did not get the key hits we needed and left some runners on base. Natalie (Price) gave us everything tonight and had great pitching efforts in both games. Our team had a good effort tonight we just had trouble scoring runners in some key situations in the second game." Senior pitcher Natalie Price gave up only one run in 12 innings as she started both games of the doubleheader. Her only run came after she had left in the seventh inning of the second game. Price pitched a one-hitter in the first game of the twin.

The offense was led by Tassio, who went four for six on the day with four RBI and Rhoden who was three for six with three RBI and two stolen bases. Georgia will be back in action on Wednesday April 12 when the Bulldogs host College of Charleston in a doubleheader that will get underway at 3 p.m.