March 21, 2008
Box Score
CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Marcus Rose went 4-for-6 and drove in four runs to power Furman to an 11-4 win over The Citadel Friday evening in the Paladins' 2008 Southern Conference season opener at Joseph P. Riley Park.
The victory marked the third for Furman (11-6, 1-0 SoCon) in its last four clashes with The Citadel (12-7, 1-3 SoCon) in Charleston and fifth in the last seven meetings with its arch-rival.
Rose, a junior second baseman from Madison Heights, Va., delivered a two-run double in the second to give Furman a 3-0 lead and came back with a two-run single in a four-run Paladin third inning to help stake the Paladins' to a 7-2 advantage. In the sixth he led off with a bunt single and later scored on a throwing error. He finished off his evening with a single in the ninth.
Rose's four hits marked a career high and headlined a 17-hit Paladin attack that provided plenty of support for Paladin starting pitcher Jay Jackson (5-0), who picked up the win after working six innings and allowing six hits and four runs, three of which were earned. He struck out six and walked three.
Campbell Lewis went 3-for-5 with two RBI, and Connor Lind and Ryan Lee added two hits apiece for the Paladins, who roughed up The Citadel starting and losing pitcher Matt Crim, (2-2). Crim went five innings and surrendered 10 hits, nine runs, and pair of walks.
Paladin relievers Barry Benton and Nick Karow combined to shut out the Bulldogs with one-hit ball over the final three innings.
Furman got on the board first with three runs in the second inning. With one out Bobby Hubbard singled and John Paterson reached on Bulldog error. Justin Holloway loaded the bases with an infield single, and Joey Rodgers reached on a fielder's choice as Hubbard scored the frame's first run. Rose then stepped in and doubled down the left field line to score Paterson and Holloway to give the Paladins a 3-0 lead.
The Citadel answered with two runs in the bottom of the frame on RBI doubles by Bryan Altman and Kyle Jordan to make it 3-2.
Furman erupted for four runs in the third against Crim, with the big blow coming on Rose's two-out, two-run single to left that plated Rodgers and Paterson to extend the Furman advantage to 7-2.
After The Citadel scratched for single runs in the third and fifth to slice Furman's advantage to 7-4, the Paladins blew the game open with a three-run sixth and a run in the seventh.
The two teams play game two of the series tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. with Paladin senior right-hander Mason Smith (2-0, 2.11 ERA) expected to go for Furman.
