March 16, 2008

GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Furman and High Point split a baseball doubleheader at Furman Stadium on Sunday with the Paladins claiming game one, 9-5, and the Panthers earning the victory in game two, 15-2.

Furman's win in the opener gave the Paladins (10-5) the three-game series while High Point's triumph in the night cap snapped a 12-game losing skid for the Pathers (4-13).

In Sunday's first game Campbell Lewis' two-run double in the seventh inning broke a 5-5 tie and lifted Furman to the 9-5 win. Lewis' decisive hit to left center field off Panther reliever Jeremy Berg came with the bases loaded and plated Bobby Hubbard and Connor Lind. Reese Wade followed with an RBI single to score Ryan Lee, and Matt Hemingway closed out the four-run Paladin frame with a sacrifice fly to stretch the Paladin advantage to 9-5.

Jay Friedman (1-0), who worked a scoreless top of the seventh, was the beneficiary of Furman's four-run outburst, earning his first collegiate victory.

Nick Karow closed out the game for the Paladins with two innings of no-hit relief.

Berg took the loss after yielding four runs on four hits and two walks in one inning of work.

Hemingway, whose two-run double in the sixth tied the game at 5-5, went 3-for-3 and drove in a game high four runs to lead Furman's 15-hit attack. Wade fashioned a 3-for-4 peformance with an RBI, and Lind, Hubbard, and Jackson collected two hits each for Furman.

With the game tied 2-2 after three innings, High Point tallied tallied three runs in the fifth off Furman starting pitcher Mason Smith to take a 5-2 lead before Marcus Rose started the Paladin comeback with a leadoff home run in the fifth off Berg.

Robby Kuzdale led High Point, going 3-for-4 with a pair of steals.

Game two was all High Point as the Panthers pounded Paladin pitching for 20 hits en route to the 15-2 decision.

Jeff Cowan went 4-for-6 with a home run and three RBI, and Randy Schwartz fashioned a 4-for-5 performance and scored four runs. Kuzdale also went 3-for-4 and frove in four runs for the Panthers.

HPU starting pitcher Bubba O'Donnell (1-0) earned the victory after working seven strong innings and surrendering just two runs on seven hits and a pair of walks. He struck out seven.

With the game tied 1-1, High Point battered Paladin starting and losing pitcher Chris Newell for five runs on six hits in the second inning to take a 6-1 lead. Newell was also called for a balk and committed a throwing error in the frame.

The Panthers tacked on pair of runs in the third and blew the game open with a four-run fifth that included a solo home run by Chris Norwood.

Furman returns to action on Wednesday when it travels to Clemson to take on the Tigers in a 7:15 p.m. game.