April 15, 2004
Furman Softball Sweeps Past Charleston Southern 8-4, 6-3
Greenville, S.C. -- Freshman outfielder Valerie Cross scored two runs, drove in a run and threw two runners out at the plate to lift Furman to a 6-3 victory in game two and a sweep of a non-conference doubleheader with Charleston Southern Thursday afternoon at Pepsi Stadium. Furman took game one 8-4.
Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the third of game one, Cross reached on a a strike three-wild pitch by pitcher Amanda Noble. After she moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by LaKerah Barr, Cross tied the game at 1-1 on a triple to right off the bat of Megan Jaudon.
Charleston Southern regained the lead in the top of the fourth. With two outs and runners on second and third, Katie McKay delivered an RBI single to left scoring Kelly Backert. Ashley Robinson tried to score from second but was cut down at the plate to end the inning on a throw from Cross to catcher Karen Myers.
After the Buccaneers stretched their lead to 3-1 in the fifth on an RBI single by Jaqui Mines, Cross hauled in a Backert fly out and gunned Jennifer Foster out at the plate for a double play.
Furman erased the 3-1 deficit with a five run sixth inning. Jessica Matthews opened the frame with a single through the left side and advanced to second when Joni Lockridge reached on an error while attempting to sacrifice bunt.
After Myers struck out, pitcher Kristy Goodrich singled to left field to load the bases with one out. Sarah Scott followed with a ground ball on the infield. An attempt on the runner at the plate was unsuccessful as Matthews scored to trim the advantage to one run.
With the bases still loaded, Cross hit a ground ball to second. Foster's through to the plate was late and wide of Backert allowing Goddrich and Lockridge to score giving Furman a 4-3 lead. Barr completed the rally driving a Noble pitch up the middle to chase home Cross and Scott to give Furman the final 6-3 margin.
Goodrich (3-9) picked up the victory allowing three runs on nine hits while tossing a complete game. The Lordstown, Ohio, native helped herself at the plate going 2-for-3 with a run scored.
Noble suffered her second loss of the day to fall to 6-13. The righthander allowed just three earned runs on six hits in six innings. Foster, Mines and Backert collected two hits apiece in the loss.
In game one, Furman exploded for an eight-run second inning to rally past Charleston Southern for an 8-4 win.
The Buccaneers took a 2-0 first inning advantage on a Backert RBI single and passed ball.
The Lady Paladins answered in the second inning with all the runs they would need. Myers opened the inning with a walk and pitcher Rachel Henley followed by being hit by a pitch. Freshman Danielle Franklin got Furman on the board with an RBI double to left field. Kristin White gave the Lady Paladins a 3-2 lead with a triple to right scoring Henley and Franklin.
After Tessa Miller replaced Noble in the circle, Barr was hit by a pitch and stole second to give Furman runners at second and third. JoDee Eichelberger reached on a fielder's choice, squeeze bunt to score White. Leading 4-2, Jaudon put the game out of reach blasting a three-run homer to left. Lockridge capped the rally by lacing a triple to right centerfield and scoring on a wild pitch.
Charleston Southern's Tiffany Reid plated two runs in the fourth with a single, but Henley held the Buccaneers at bay for the 8-4 win.
Henley tossed a complete game allowing three earned runs, striking out six and walking none to improve to 8-16 on the season.
Noble allowed four runs on three hits in one inning of work to suffer the loss.
Jaudon paced Furman at the plate going 3-for-4 with a double, homer and three RBI. Franklin added two hits to the Lady Paladin attack.
Robinson went 2-for-3 with a run scored for CSU.
The Lady Paladins, 11-35 overall and 4-5 in the Southern Conference, return to action this weekend when they visit Elon for a key three-game series beginning Saturday at 1 p.m.