May 2, 2002
CHATTANOOGA, TN - The Furman softball team defeated UNC Greensboro 4-1 to advance to the second round of the 2002 Sonic Southern Conference Softball Tournament at Jim Frost Stadium.
UNC Greensboro opened the first inning with an early scoring opportunity, getting runners on base with a walk and an error. However, the Lady Paladins escaped with the game still scoreless as firstbaseman Jessica Griffin threw out Greensbor''s Tabitha Lewis at home as she tried to score from second on a single.
Furman struck first as four of the first five Lady Paladins singled off UNC Greensboro pitcher Maureen Flynn. Lakerah Barr led off with a single to right center and was advanced to second by a Kristin White sacrifice. Barr reached third on Ali McNulty's base hit to right field. Back-to-back RBI singles by Jessica Matthews and Kate Morrison scored Barr and McNulty and gave Furman a 2-0 lead after the first inning.
UNC Greensboro cut into the Furman lead in the sixth inning as two Lady Paladin errors and a double by Penny Thompson led to a Greensboro run. Furman's Meagen Johnson replaced pitcher Rachel Henley with both the tying and go-ahead runs on base. Johnson struck out two of the next three batters to end the inning and preserve the Lady Paladin lead at 2-1.
Furman tacked on two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth beginning with Kate Morrison's one-out single to centerfield. Melissa Hutton nailed a hit off the glove of the UNC Greensboro thirdbaseman and Jessica Griffin sacrificed both runners over. Relief pitcher Meagen Johnson helped her own cause with a two-out RBI single to centerfield scoring Morrison. Caroline Evans followed with her first hit of the night, as she knocked a single down the right field line scoring Hutton from third.
Henley, who improved to 11-10 with the win, pitched five strong innings giving up only one run on three hits. Johnson earned her third save of the year by setting down six of the eight batters she faced in two innings of work.
UNC Greensboro stranded nine runners on base in the game, including leaving a runner on third in both the sixth and the seventh innings.
Furman improved to 21-22 on the season and will face No. 2 seeded Georgia Southern on Friday at 7:15.