March 27, 2003
BARR, MATTHEWS LEAD FURMAN SOFTBALL TO A DOUBLEHEADER SWEEP OF CHARLESTON SOUTHERN
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- LaKerah Barr recorded six hits and Jessica Matthews scored three runs and drove in three more as the Furman softball team swept Charleston Southern 11-3, 5-1 Thursday afternoon at Pepsi Stadium.
The Lady Paladins, 13-13 on the season, opened the scoring in game one with two runs in the bottom of the third inning. After Joni Lockridge and Barr led off the inning with singles and advanced to second and third on a wild pitch, Meagen Johnson lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to score Lockridge. Kate Morrison followed by driving in Barr with a bunt single.
Charleston Southern struck back in the top of the fifth. With two outs and runners on second and third, third baseman Dorothy Page belted a three-run homer to left field giving the Buccaneers a 3-2 lead.
Barr led off the bottom of the fifth with a bunt single. With one out Johnson tripled down the right field line scoring Barr and knotting the game at 3-3. Morrison then delivered an RBI single to right to give Furman a 4-3 advantage it would not surrender.
Furman eneded the game in the bottom of the six inning, posting seven runs for the final 11-3 margin. Matthews delivered the big hit of the inning, a two-out, three-run double to left-center to seal the game for the Lady Paladins.
Rachel Henley improved her record to 5-6 with the win, while Charleston Southern's Tessa Miller (1-2) took the loss.
Barr and Morrison each recorded three hits for Furman, and Johnson and Matthews batted in three runs each.
Page paced the Buccaneers (8-26) at the plate going 1-for-2 with three RBI.
In game two, Furman broke open a 1-1 tie with an RBI single by Jessica Griffin scoring Matthews. Karen Myers then reached base on a fielder's choice allowing Ali McNulty to score to give the Lady Paladins a 3-1 lead. Furman tacked on single runs in the fifth and six innings for the 5-1 victory.
Meagen Johnson (6-7) picked up the win after allowing only one run and two hits in five innings of work. Kristy Goodrich earned her first save of the year working two scoreless innings in relief.
Dana Jacobs (7-14) went the distance for the Buccaneers, giving up five earned runs on 11 hits.
Matthews went 3-for-3 at the plate and scored two runs, while Barr went 3-for-4 with an RBI.
Furman returns to action when it hosts the College of Charleston in a three-game Southern Conference series this weekend at Pepsi Stadium. The series opens with a doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m. The Lady Paladins and Cougars conclude the series with a 1 p.m. contest Sunday.