March 19, 2005
Box Score
Rachel Henley's two-out, three-run double in the bottom of the seventh gave Furman a 7-6 victory and doubleheader split with the Birmingham-Southern Panthers in non-conference softball action Saturday afternoon at Pepsi Stadium. Birmingham-Southern defeated Furman 4-1 in game one.
Jessica Matthews staked Furman to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the third with a three-run homer to center field. Valerie Cross led off the inning with a single and Blake Murray reached on a fielder's choice to set the stage for Matthews' two-out blast.
Trailing 3-0 in the top of the fifth inning, Birmingham-Southern got a lead off single from Dawn Treadwell and placed runners on first and second when Jennifer Wellborn reached on an Amber Nelsen error. With one out and runners at second and third, the Panthers' Lacey Barth reached base on a fielder's choice and Treadwell and Wellborn scored on a wild throw by catcher Colleen Harrison. After a hit batter and stolen base, Kerri Owens singled up the middle to drive home two runs to give the Panthers a 4-3 lead. Sloane Laiche's RBI Double upped the advantage to 6-3 and capped a six-run inning.
Furman waited to begin its rally until the bottom of the seventh. Cross started the inning with a single to third base and Nelsen followed with a base hit through the left side. After Cross was cut down at third on a fielder's choice, Matthews singled up the middle to drive in Nelsen and trim the lead to 6-4. With two outs, Megan Jaudon hit a chopper to short that was mishandled by Panther shorstop Laiche loading the bases for Furman.
After Jessica Mathis entered the game for Jaudon as a pinch runner, Henley laced a 3-1 pitch into the left-center field gap clearing the bases and giving Furman the 7-6 victory.
Henley worked a complete game striking out four to improve to 5-10 on the season. The senior did not allow a walk or an earned run in securing the win. Matthews finished the day 4-for-4 with two runs scored and four RBI while Nelsen, Joni Lockridge and Cross each collected two hits.
Erin Haggard, who allowed four runs on four hits in two innings of relief, suffered the loss for Birmingham-Southern. Treadwell went 2-for-3 with a run for the Panthers.
In game one, Wellborn belted a three-run homer in the top of the sixth to break a 1-1 tie and lead Birmingham-Southern to a 4-1 victory.
Lillie Bradfield put the Panthers ahead in the second on an RBI single, but Jaudon answered in the bottom half of the inning with a solo homer to center field. After a single, sacrifice bunt and walk gave the Panthers runners at first and second in the fifth, Furman relieved starter Blake Murray with Jessica Mathis. Wellborn greeted Mathis with the game-winning homer to left-center.
Kristi Villavicencio picked up the win allowing one runs on three hits in seven innings. Murray(3-4) allowed three eanred runs in 5.1 innings of work to suffer the defeat.
Furman, 9-17 on the season, returns to action Sunday when it visits Georgia State in a 2:00 p.m. doubleheader at Bob Heck Field.
