May 4, 2003
FURMAN DROPS REGULAR SEASON FINALE TO UNCG 7-2
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- UNC Greensboro scored three unearned runs in the top of the third inning on its way to defeating Furman 7-2 in the regular season finale Sunday at Pepsi Stadium.
Furman struck first in the bottom half of the first inning. LaKerah Barr led off the inning with an infield single. Meagen Johnson followed after a Joni Lockridge fly out with a single to left and advanced to second on the throw. Barr gave Furman a 1-0 lead when she scored on a sacrifice fly to right off the bat of Kate Morrison. After an Ali McNulty walk, the senior was picked off of first to retire the side.
UNC Greensboro took the lead in the top of the third with three unearned runs.. With two outs, Jennifer Hubbard reached on a single and Kim Benningfield was awarded first base on catcher's interference. Penny Thompson singled up the middle on two-strike pitch to score Hubbard and tie the game. Benningfield scored on a wild pitch by Johnson to give UNCG a 2-1 lead. The Spartans extended the lead to 3-1 on a double steal which allowed Joni Gomez to reach third on the throw to the plate. Furman eneded the inning on a foul out to left.
The Spartans stretched its lead to 5-1 in the top of the fifth on a two-out, two-run homer by Gomez. It was Gomez's ninth homer of the season and second of the series.
UNC Greensboro added two more runs in the top of the sixth inning. The Spartans loaded the bases on three consecutive walks and scored two runs on a two-out single to left by Benningfield to make the score 7-1.
Amy Poole (6-2) pitched a complete-game to earn the win for the Spartans, while Johnson (10-13) took the loss for the Lady Paladins allowing three unearned runs in four innings.
Hubbard and Jennifer Moran each tallied two hits while Benningfield scored two runs and batted in two to pace UNCG.
Sarah Scott and Kelli Leachman led Furman with two hits each.
Furman finishes the regular season with a 20-30 overall record and 8-13 Southern Conference mark, while the UNC Greensboro Spartans move to 36-16 overall and 14-6 in the SoCon.
The Lady Paladins will open play in the 2003 Southern Conference Tournament with a 2:30 p.m. contest versus host Chattanooga on Thursday at Frost Stadium.