April 10, 2004
Charleston Rallies Past Furman For Doubleheader Sweep 8-0, 5-4
Charleston, S.C. -- Brittany Pohlen's double to center in the bottom of the ninth plated Amanda Cone to give the College of Charleston a 5-4 victory and doubleheader sweep of Furman in softball action Saturday at Patriots Point. The Cougars downed the Lady Paladins 8-0 in six innings in game one.
Furman took a first inning lead in game two when LaKerah Barr reached on a leadoff single, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on Jessica Matthews' single to right field. The Lady Paladins stretched their lead to 3-0 in the second scoring on an error and a Barr sacrifice fly.
The College of Charleston trimmed the deficit to 3-2 with a two-run double off of the center field wall by Darcy Johnson in the bottom of the second inning.
Furman answered in the third as Matthews cracked her first home run of the season, a solo shot to left field.
Trailing, 4-2 in the bottom of the fourth inning, the College of Charleston mounted a rally. With two outs, Leshe Russell singled up the middle. Brooke Flowers followed with an RBI double to left center making it a one run game. Flowers scored to tie the game when Jacquie Rothey's infield singled deflected off the glove of a diving Joni Lockridge allowing her to score from second.
After Furman left a runner stranded on thrid in the top half of the ninth, Pohlen delivered the game-winning ouble for the Cougars.
Rachael Stern earned her second win of the day working in relief to improve to 15-7 on the season, while Rachel Henley suffered the loss for Furman to drop to 7-16.
Flowers and Rothey each collected three hits for the Cougars while Russell and Pohlen added two apiece.
Matthews went 2-for-5 with a homer and two RBI to lead Furman's offensive attack.
In game two, the College of Charleston opened up an early 5-0 lead and cruised to an 8-0 win.
The Cougars struk for two runs in the first and three in the second off of Furman starter Rachel Henley to put the game out of reach. Reliever Erica Nesselroad allowed three more runs in the sixth as the College of Charleston claimed victory in six innings.
Flowers went 2-for-2 and Katie Ballard went 2-for-3 with two runs scored to lead the Cougars. Stern earned the victory limiting Furman to two hits while striking out eight in a complete game shutout.
Henley took the loss for Furman.
The Lady Paladins, 9-34 overall and 4-4 in the SoCon, return to action Sunday when they face the College of Charleston (30-15, 6-2) in the final game of a three-game series.