March 29, 2003
COUGARS RALLY TWICE, SWEEP LADY PALADINS 3-2, 7-5
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- The College of Charleston scored two runs in the fourth and four more in the sixth to rally from a 5-0 deficit to defeat Furman 7-5 in the second game of a Southern Conference softball doubleheader Saturday at Pepsi Stadium.
Trailing 5-0 entering the top of the fourth, the Cougars got on the board with an RBI single from Jacquie Rothey and sacrifice fly from Jessica Schwartzkopf to trim the Furman lead to 5-2.
In the sixth inning, Amanda Cone deliverd a two-run single up the middle scoring Rothey and Brooke Flowers. Schwartzkopf followed with a two-run double to left-center giving Charleston a 6-5 advantage. Schwartzkopf tacked on an insurance run in the seventh, drawing a bases loaded walk for the final 7-5 margin.
Furman jumped out to the early 5-0 lead thanks to three runs in the first and two in the third. Meagen Johnson put Furman on the board with a double to right-center scoring Caroline Evans. Kate Morrison drove home Joni Lockridge with a sacrifice bunt and Jessica Matthews singled to center field to score Johnson.
In the third, Ali McNulty cracked a one-out double to right field to drive in Morrison and Johnson.
Carla Shepherd earned the win in relief for the Cougars. Shepherd (7-1) gave up only one earned run and six hits in seven innings of work. Keyta Lawson and Flowers each registered two hits for the Cougars, while Schwartzkopf went 1-for-2 with four RBI.
Tabitha Dease suffered the loss for Furman to fall to 2-1 on the season. Dease, on in relief of starter Rachel Henley, allowed two runs on one hit and walked a batter without recording an out.
By going 4-for-4 in game one and 3-for-3 in game two, Johnson broke the Furman record for consecutive at-bats with a hit. Johnson who doubled in her final at-bat against Charleston Southern Thursday, has had a hit in each of her last eight at-bats. The record, six consecutive hits, was previously set by Amy Barringer in 1989.
With game one tied 2-2 in the top of the eighth, Johnson hit Rothey giving the Cougars a runner on first with no one out. Cone followed with an RBI double to give the College of Charleston a 3-2 lead.
Pitcher Rachael Stern (14-1) got Morrison to line into a double play in the bottom of the eighth inning to secure the victory for Charleston. Stern picked up the win after going eight innings and allowing only one earned run.
Lawson paced the Cougars at the plate with a 3-for-4 outing, while Johnson's 4-for-4 performance led the Lady Paladins.
Johnson, who pitched eight innings and allowed three earned runs, took the loss for Furman. The Georgetown, S.C., native falls to 6-8 on the season.
Furman (13-15, 2-3 SoCon) and the College of Charleston (26-4, 5-0 SoCon) will wrap up the three-game series on Sunday with the first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.