May 3, 2003
MATTHEWS' GRAND SLAM LEADS FURMAN SOFTBALL TO 4-2 WIN, DOUBLEHEADER SPLIT
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Jessica Matthews erased a 1-0 deficit with her first home run of the year, a grand slam to left field in the bottom of the sixth, to lead Furman to a 4-2 victory over UNC Greensboro and split of a Southern Conference twinbill Saturday at Pepsi Stadium.
Jennifer Hubbard led off the first inning with a walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Penny Thompson followed with an RBI double to right-center giving UNCG a 1-0 lead.
In the top of the fifth, Hubbard and Kim benningfield singled and advanced to second and third on a wild pitch. However, pitcher Meagen Johnson got Joni Gomez to ground out to retire the side.
Furman loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth. With one out, Johnson drew a walk. Kate Morrison then reached on a fielding error and Ali McNulty reached on an error by the second baseman Jennifer Aguilar. Matthews followed with a grand slam to left, her first homer of the season, to give Furman a 4-1 lead.
In the top of the seventh, UNCG's Ashley Purcell reached base on a one-out walk and scored on a Hubbard double to trim the Lady Paladin lead to 4-2. After Johnson got Benningfield to bounce out to short, Penny Thompson walked to give the Spartans runners on first and third. With two out, Gomez grounded into a fielder's choice to end the game.
Johnson picked up the win for Furman to improve to 10-12 on the season, while Amber Watson (10-4) suffered the loss for UNC Greensboro. Johnson allowed only two runs on five hits while tossing a complete game.
Furman scored its four runs on only four hits. The Lady Paladins were aided by four Spartan errors.
In game two, Gomez followed two walks with a three-run homer to left-center to give the Spartans a 3-0 first inning lead. After a single by catcher Christie Sweeney, Jennifer Moran belted a two-run homer to left-center to up the lead to 5-0 chasing starter Tabitha Dease from the game.
Furman got on the board with a run in the bottom of the second. McNulty drew a lead off walk and moved to third on a wild pitch and ground out. With one out, Joni Lockridge delivered an RBI single to right cutting the UNCG advantage to 5-1. Kelli Leachman followed Lockridge with a single and Karen Myers moved both runners up with a sacrifice bunt. Pitcher Melissa Johnson got out of the jam by getting LaKerah Barr to fly out to left.
UNC Greensboro extended its lead to 6-1in the top of the third. Sweeney laced a one-out double to left scoring Gomez who had reached on a fielder's choice. The Spartans finished the scoring in the seventh as Benningfield scored from first on a Leachman throwing error, Gomez scored on a Sweeney sacrifice fly and Moran belted her second homer of the game for the final 9-1 margin.
Johnson (13-5) earned the win for UNCG tossing a complete-game. Johnson struck out four while allowing only five Furman hits. Dease (2-3), who retired only one batter and allowed five runs, took the loss for Furman.
Gomez went 2-for-4 with three runs scored and three RBI for UNC Greensboro, while Moran went 2-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI.
Leachman paced the Lady Paladins at the plate with two hits.
Furman is now 20-29 overall and 8-12 in the Southern Conference, while UNC Greensboro moves to 35-16 and 13-6 in the league.
The Lady Paladins and Spartans will wrap up their three-game series with a single game Sunday at 1 p.m.