Feb. 27, 2008

Box Score

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Ryan Lee belted a two-run seventh inning home run to highlight a 3-for-4 performance at the plate, and Jay Jackson hurled eight strong innings in his first start of the 2008 campaign to lead Furman to a 4-2 win over Charleston Southern in baseball action Wednesday afternoon at Buccaneer Field.

The win evened Furman's record on the season at 1-1 while Charleston Southern fell to 1-3.

Lee, a 6-foot-3, 260-pound freshman first baseman and scholarship offensive guard on Furman's football team, singled in his first two at bats before getting hit by a pitch in the fifth. Later in the seventh, with Furman trailing 2-1, he delivered a line drive two-run home run down the right field line to give the Paladins a 3-2 lead.

Jackson (1-0), meanwhile handcuffed Charleston Southern's bats for the better part of eight innings, allowing only four hits and two runs, including just one earned, while striking out six. The former Christ Church Episcopal School standout, walked only one batter in claiming the win.

Nick Karow came on the ninth with a two-run lead and allowed a couple of hits before securing the save with a strikeout of the Buccaneers' Cory Trudell to end the game.

Stew Brase (0-1), who took over in relief of Buccaneer starting pitcher Tyler Thornburg in the seventh, absorbed the loss for Charleston Southern after surrendering two hits and three runs, including Lee's decisive two-run shot.

Lee's three hits highlighted Furman's seven-hit attack. Charleston Southern banged out six hits, including two each by Nick Chinners and Steve Antolik.

The Paladins took a 1-0 lead in the fifth inning. Joey Rodgers led off with a walk and advanced to second on a Connonr Lind sacrifice and to third on a groundout. Lee was then hit by a pitch, and John Paterson followed with an RBI single up the middle that plated Rodgers.

Charleston Southern answered in the bottom of the frame with a pair of runs to grab a 2-1 advantage. Antolik doubled to right center to lead off and advanced to third on a sacrifice. After Mark Perry walked, Jake Cox delivered a bunt single to score Antolik. Furman shortstop Connor Lind's errant throw to first base in an attempt to complete a double play hit the Buccaneers' Brantley Meirer near first base, allowing Perry to score the second run on the inning. Jackson limited the damage, however, by retiring Tom Burkett on a groundout to third to end the frame.

In the decisive seventh, Furman's Bobby Hubbard reached on a error to lead off in front of Lee, who followed with a line drive home, two-run home run down the right field line to give the Paladins a 3-2 advantage. Paterson kept the inning going with a single, and pinch runner Cameron Allmendinger advanced to third on a hit-and-run groundout before coming home on a Campbell Lewis sacrifice fly to make it 4-2.

Furman opens its home season on Saturday when it entertains New Jersey Tech in a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m.