March 28, 2004
Henley Pitches Furman Past UNC Greensboro in Extra-Inning Marathon 2-1
Greensboro, N.C. -- Junior Rachel Henley tossed a complete game allowing no earned runs on just six hits while striking out a career-high 12 batters to lead Furman to a 2-1 win over UNC Greensboro in the finale of a three-game set Sunday afternoon at Campus Field in Greensboro, N.C.
Sunday's win, coupled with a 9-5 Furman triumph in game two on Saturday, gave Furman the series victory two game to one.
Henley and UNCG starter Danielle Byrne staged an epic pitcher's duel holding their opposition scoreless for ten innings. Using the international tiebreaker rule in the top of the eleventh inning, Lady Paladin shortstop Joni Lockridge singled up the middle to score pinch runner Kristen Arnold to give Furman a 1-0 lead.
The Spartans evened the game in the bottom half of the inning. After moving to third on a ground out, Christina Montana scored from third on a one-out fielder error to knot the game at 1-1. Henley retired the next two batters she faced to get out of the inning.
In the final frame, Valerie Cross sacrificed Henley to third and Kristin White placed a perfect sacrifice bunt down the first base line to score Henley to give the Lady Paladins a 2-1 lead.
Byrne led off the bottom of the inning by moving Lynsi Pierce to third with a scarifice bunt. As Kara Clouser swung and missed for strike three, catcher Karen Myers got Pierce in a run down between third and home. Henley tagged Pierce out for the final out.
Byrne (6-4) suffered the loss for the Spartans despite not surrendering and earned run in 12 innings. Jennifer Hubbard and Joni Gomez each collected two hits for the Spartans in the loss.
LaKerah Barr, who tallied seven hits and four runs in the series, led the Lady Paladins by going 2-for-3 with two doubles and two walks. Myers also picked up two hits and a double for Furman.
The Lady Paladins stranded 12 runners on the afternoon while UNCG stranded ten.
The win improves Henley to 5-13 on the season. Furman ups its record to 7-29 overall and 2-1 in the SoCon, while UNCG falls to 20-13 overall and 1-2 in conference play.
With her performance in the circle, Henley allowed just one earned run in 19 innings of work this weekend.
Furman returns to action Wednesday when it hosts North Carolina in a 2:00 p.m. doubleheader before battling SoCon rival Georgia Southern in a three-game series at Pepsi Stadium this coming weekend.