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Furman Earns Doubleheader Split With Elon 15-7, 3-4
April 6, 2007
Greenville, S.C. - Furman exploded for eight sixth-inning runs to complete its comeback in a 15-7 victory over Elon in Southern Conference softball action Friday afternoon at Pepsi Stadium. Elon rallied to down Furman 4-3 in game two.
Tied at 7-7 entering the bottom of the sixth, Amber Kiser opened the frame with a double and Abby Robertson and Stephanie Cushing followed with singles. After Megan Jaudon lined out to right field, Brythe Blakenship reached on an error to drive in the ninth run. Lana Mackey singled to load the bases and Danielle Franklin line a single through the left side to up the lead to 10-7.
A groundout by Lynn Parmer and an error led to two more runs before Robertson laced a two-run single. Cushing capped the game and forced the eight-run rule with a base hit over the leftfielder's head to plate the final run.
Elon took a 6-1 lead after two and a half innings scoring two runs in each of the first three frames. Patti Weber highlighted the Phoenix offenseive attack with a two-run blast to left-center in the second inning.
Blankenship helped Furman trim the deficit in the bottom of the third. With two outs and the bases loaded, Blakenship blooped a single just out of the reach of the shortstop to plate two runs.
After Elon added a single run in the fifth to take a 7-3 advantage, Furman pulled even in the bottom of the inning. Parmer laced a leadoff double to right and Kiser reached on a one-out single to give Furman runners at the corners. Robertson drew a base on balls and Cushing hammered a double to left-center to cut the lead to 7-5. Robertson was cut down at the plate after a passed ball moved Cushing to third, but Jaudon knotted the game at 7-7 with a two-out blast over the centerfield fence.
Vanessa Williams (1-1) earned the win for Furman after allowing three runs on seven hits in five innings of relief work. Kiser paced the Lady Paladins' 17-hit attack going 4-for-5 with a school-record five runs. Robertson went 3-for-3 with a pair of walks and a pair of RBI while Cushing went 3-for-4 with four RBI.
Reliever Samantha Schroeder suffered the loss for Elon to fall to 0-4. Schroeder was touched for six runs, two earned, in 1.1 innings of work. Melanie Helterbran and Jamie Rao collected two hits apiece for the Phoenix while Weber batted in three.
Elon rallied from a 3-2 deficit in game two to claim a 4-3 win.
The Phoenix took a 2-0 lead in the top half of the first on a Debbie Zeigler RBI single and Rao sacrifice fly. Furman answered with three in the bottom of the frame. Elon starter Carol Lilley retired the first two batters of the inning before issuing three consecutive walks. Mackey followed with a three-run double off of the left field wall.
Elon tied the game on an error in the second. Furman looked to take the lead in the sixth. Mackey lined a two-out single to right, but Jaymie Shanahan threw a strike to the plate to erase Cushing.
In the seventh, Brandi Jones scored on a throwing error from Jaudon to give the Phoenix a 4-3 lead. Lilley retired the Lady Paladins in the bottom of the inning to improve to 10-7.
Lilley allowed three runs on five hits in seven innings. Blake Murray (6-11) suffered the loss for Furman after allowing two earned runs on five hits in seven innings.
Tracey Dahlen went 2-for2 with two walks for Elon while Mackey went 2-for-3 with three RBI for Furman.
Furman (13-21-1, 3-5 SoCon) and Elon (22-17, 6-2 SoCon) play the rubber game of their three-game series Saturday at 1 p.m.
