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Sixth-Inning Surge Lifts Furman To Doubleheader Split At Georgia State 1-4, 5-2
March 21, 2007
Panthersville, Ga. - Amber Kiser's inside the park homer highlighted a five-run sixth inning as Furman downed Georgia State 5-2 to earn a doubleheader split in softball action Wednesday afternoon at Bob Heck Field.
Georgia State downed Furman 4-1 in game one of the twinbill.
In game two, Megan Jaudon opened the top of the sixth with a double down the left field line. With one out, Lana Mackey singled to plate Jaudon and give Furman a 1-0 lead. Christina Campoli doubled to left center to score Mackey and double the advantage. Blake Murray kept the rally going with a two-out RBI single and Kiser capped the inning with a two-run homer.
The Panthers mounted a rally in the bottom half of the inning on two wild pitches and an error, but pitcher Blake Murray got Nichole Griffin to line into a double play and Danielle Roddy to ground out to end the threat.
Murray held Georgia State to just one earned run on four hits while fanning five batters to improve to 5-7 on the season. Kiser, Mackey and Murray each collected two hits as every Lady Paladin reached safely at least once in the 12-hit outburst.
Ashley Cowan suffered the loss for Georgia State allowing five earned runs on 10 hits in 5.2 innings of work.
Furman took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning of game one. Kiser started the frame with a bunt single before stealing second. She moved to third on Abby Robertson's bunt single and scored on a wild pitch. Robertson reached third, but was cut down attempting to steal home.
Georgia State took the lead with three runs in the bottom half of the second inning. Jessica Gowin doubled and Rachel Cunningham walked to start the inning. Following a fielder's choice, Holly Willis singled to load the bases with one out. Lily Skelton lined a double to center field to clear the bases and give the Panthers a 3-1 advantage.
The Panthers added to their lead in the third. Alison Bradford doubled down the right field line to leadoff the frame and moved to third when Gowin reached on an error. Cunnigham delivered a single through the left side to up the lead to 4-1.
Mackey (5-6) suffered the loss for Furman allowing four runs on five hits in two-plus innings of work. Vanessa Williams, who entered in relief of Mackey in the third, worked four no-hit innings.
Madi Gore earned the win for the Panthers after surrendering just one run on five hits while tossing a complete game. Gore fanned nine Lady Paladins while issuing only one base on balls.
Furman moves to 10-14-1 overall while Georgia State stands at 19-14.
Furman opens Southern Conference play this weekend when it hosts UNC Greensboro in a three-game series at Pepsi Stadium. The series begins with a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday and concludes with a single game at 1 p.m. Sunday.
