Feb. 9, 2008

Box Score

Greenville, S.C. - Furman rallied from a three-run deficit to down East Tennessee State 5-3 in game two and earn a split with the Lady Bucs in the season opening softball doubleheader for both teams Saturday afternoon at Pepsi Stadium. ETSU rolled to a 7-0 win in game one.

Trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the sixth inning, Lana Mackey reached on a fielder's choice following a Brythe Blankenship single for Furman. Junior Kate Termini followed with a double down the left field line to plate Mackey from first and tie the game at 3-3. Freshman Morgan Hughey put Furman ahead scoring Termini on an RBI double into the left-centerfield gap and Hughey later scored on a passed ball to extend the lead to 5-3.

Mackey (1-1) took the circle in relief of starter Bethany Ullrich in the fourth and allowed just one hit while fanning four Lady Bucs to earn the victory. Ullrich surrendered two earned runs on five hits in three innings during her collegiate pitching debut.

ETSU (1-1) took the early lead with a three-run second inning. Jessie Hackworth started the frame by reaching third on a dropped fly ball and scored when Trisha Massenzo singled to right. After Massenzo swiped second and Marissa Hardy singled and advanced to second, Briana Knight and Vicki McCoy notched back-to-back singles to up the lead to 3-0.

Furman (1-1) answered with two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to slice the lead to one run. Junior Abby Robertson opened the inning with a double to centerfield and moved to third on Blankenship's ground out. Mackey lined a double to left-center to score Robertson. After moving to third base on a ground out, Mackey scored on a wild pitch with two outs.

Hughey went 1-for-1 with two walks, an RBI and a run scored while fellow freshman Katie Michaels went 2-for-4 at the plate. Massenzo collected two hits, scored a run and drove in a runs for the Lady Bucs. Hardy (0-1) took the loss allowing four earned runs on seven hits in six innings.

In game one, Jessie Hackworth doubled and blasted a seventh-inning grand slam to lift ETSU to a 7-0 victory over the Lady Paladins.

McCoy broke open a scoreless tie in the fifth scoring on a wild pitch. Six consecutive Lady Bucs reached in the top of the seventh, highlight by Hackworth's homer and Massenzo's two-run shot, to help East Tennessee State pull away.

Darci Gilbert (1-0) went the distanced in the circle to record the shutout. The sophomore fanned four batters and allowed only five Furman hits. Hackworth went 2-for-4 with four RBI while Katy Jett and Cherniece Cason also collected two hits apiece.

Lana Mackey suffered the loss for Furman allowing seven earned runs on 10 hits despite striking out nine batters in the season opener. Hughey tallied two hits for the Lady Paladins.

Furman will entertain Winthrop in a 2 p.m. doubleheader on Wednesday at Pepsi Stadium.