Chattanooga, Tenn. – No. 7 seed ETSU exploded for five runs in the top of the fifth inning to break open a scoreless game and held on to down No. 3 seed Furman, 6-4, on Thursday morning in the Southern Conference Softball Championship at Frost Stadium in Chattanooga, Tenn.
ETSU starter Brianna Bailey navigated her way through the heart of Furman's order several times to limit the Paladin offense and the Bucs' fifth-inning outburst proved to be enough to secure the win. The Bucs (16-36) advanced to face the loser of this afternoon's UNCG-Western Carolina game at 5:30 p.m. in an elimination contest. Furman finished its season at 20-32.
The Paladins worked out of a jam in the top of the first inning but failed to take the lead as Bailey stranded four Paladins on base over the first three frames. Furman left two on base in the bottom of the first inning, one in the second, and another in the home half of the third.
After an infield single, sacrifice bunt, and walk started the fifth inning for the Bucs, leadoff hitter Cameron Young lined a single to center field to drive in Jessica Odom with the first run of the game. Kasidy Dunn sprinted home on a wild pitch by Furman starter
Emme Buzhardt to double the lead. Buzhardt induced a grounder back to the circle by the next batter, Kemiah Michel, but the Paladins failed to record an out on the lead runner and Sara Muir followed with a three-run blast to right field to blow the game open.
Furman answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth.
Chloe Fabio worked a leadoff walk and
Chrissy Fleming followed with a triple into the right-center field gap to put the Paladins on the board.
Ashlee Lykins reached on an infield single and executed a double steal with Fleming to cut the Bucs' lead to 5-2.
Caitlin Goldwait walked to bring the tying run to the plate, but Bailey retired
Riley Ludlam,
Kiley Perry, and
Sylvia Burroughs to end the threat.
The Paladins crept closer in the bottom of the sixth.
Ainsley Yoshizumi doubled over the centerfielder's head to open the inning and
Alex Rose Molinar singled and advanced to second base on ETSU's throw to the plate. Fleming drove in her second run of the game with a sacrifice fly and Molinar crossed the plate when Lykins' fly to center was dropped. Bailey, however, retired Goldwait to leave Lykins, the potential tying run, at third base.
Clinging to a 5-4 lead after six innings, ETSU plated a crucial insurance run in the top of the seventh as Cameron Young opened the inning with a double and scored on Riley Nayadley's two-out base hit through the left side. In the bottom of the seventh, Ludlam reached on a single in her final at bat as a Paladin to bring the tying run to the plate once again. Bailey bounced back by getting Perry to pop out to first base and struck out Burroughs before pinch hitter
Hana Suniga grounded out to shortstop to end the game.
Buzhardt (7-8), who surrendered five runs on five hits in 4.1 innings was tagged with the loss. Bailey (13-11) earned the win, allowing three earned runs on nine hits over seven innings. She struck out six Paladins and issued four walks.
Muir went 3-for-4 with three RBIs to power ETSU's offense while Young, Nayadley, and Odom each collected two hits apiece for the Bucs. Lykins, Goldwait, and Yoshizumi totaled two hits apiece for Furman and Fleming posted a pair of RBIs.
