Furman to meet Samford in softball championship

GREENSBORO, N.C. – No. 2 seed Furman avenged its first-round loss to seventh-seeded Mercer under the lights on Friday, running away from the Bears 8-1 in the Southern Conference Softball Championship at UNCG Softball Stadium in Greensboro, N.C. With the win, the Paladins will move on to face top-seeded Samford in the championship on Saturday.

Mercer ends the season at 23-25, while Furman goes to 33-27.

Shortstop Sieara Bishop and first baseman AnnaRose Borrelli led the Paladins with three hits apiece. Bishop notched game-high three RBIs.

In the circle, freshman Emily Demonte earned her second straight win of the day and improved to 11-7 on the year. She tossed a complete game, allowing eight hits and only one earned run. Mercer starter Megan Bilgri was pulled after three innings and replaced by Maxine Rodriguez. Bilgri was tagged with the loss but was otherwise a workhorse for the Bears during the tournament.

Both teams were scoreless until the top of the third, when Furman’s Candace Johnson belted a two-run shot – her school-record 15th of the season – and Borrelli made it back-to-back home runs with a solo jack.

The Paladins tallied another three runs in the top of the fourth frame. Bishop recorded an RBI double that scored Taylor Collins, and Bishop eventually crossed the plate herself on a Lindsey Bert grounder. Freshman Sarah Windham made it 6-0 in favor of the Paladins after scoring on an errant throw.  

Sophomore Quirisa Mauga tried to help the Bears dig out of the hole in the bottom of the fourth by swatting a double to lead off. She scored on a sacrifice fly from Kaytlin Haney to make a small dent in the Paladin lead.

Bishop doubled again in the top of the fifth, driving in Ogburn and Courtney Jacobs to give Furman an 8-1 advantage.

Innings six and seven did not see any runs cross the plate as Furman cruised to victory.

This will be Furman’s first appearance in the SoCon title game since 2007, when the Paladins were crowned champions. It will be Samford's first appearance in the championship.

Saturday’s championship will begin at 1:02 p.m. and can be seen on ESPN3. If Furman wins, a winner-take-all contest will be held at approximately 3 p.m. to determine the SoCon title.

 

Big first inning lifts Furman over Chattanooga in elimination showdown

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Second-seed Furman dispatched No. 6 seed Chattanooga 9-6 on the strength of a six-run first inning on Friday evening in the 2016 Southern Conference Softball Championship at UNCG Softball Stadium in Greensboro, N.C.

The Paladins, who improved to 32-27, advanced to take on No. 7 seed Mercer in Friday’s final contest. The two-time defending champion Mocs concluded the season with a mark of 30-29.

Right fielder Candace Johnson fueled the Paladins, going 2-for-4 at the dish with five RBIs and a run. Sophomore Brittany Houston was 3-for-4 with a pair of RBIs to go along with Johnson.

For the Mocs, freshman Jordan Fortel was 2-for-3 with three RBIs.

Furman took a commanding 6-0 lead in the bottom of the first, with Johnson providing four of those runs on a grand slam. The homer marked her school-record 14th of the season. Houston drove in two more runs with a single up the middle, which scored Taylor Collins and Emma Ogburn.

Chattanooga chipped into the Paladin lead in the top of the second after Anyssa Robles walked and Amanda Beltran sent her past the plate with a double. The Paladins responded in the bottom half of the inning, though, when Ogburn singled and scored first baseman AnnaRose Borrelli, who got on base with a single of her own and advanced to scoring position on a wild pitch.

Furman pitcher Alex Sappington came in to relieve Lindsey Bert to start the fourth. Sappington and Moc pitcher Cori Jennings both tossed scoreless fourth frames.

In the top of the fifth, Chattanooga rang up five runs to cut the Paladin lead to 8-6. The Mocs’ big inning transpired with two outs gone. Robles laced a two-RBI double, Beltran drove in another run with a double of her own soon after and Fortel continued to stay locked in at the plate with a two-run jack to center field.

Borrelli added an insurance run for Furman with a sacrific fly in the bottom of the fifth, and freshman Emily Demonte proceeded to shut out the Mocs in the final two innings to keep the Paladins’ title hopes alive.

Demonte earned the win and improved to 10-7 on the year, while Kailey Palazzolo was given the loss for UTC.

The Mocs tallied 12 hits in the loss to the Paladins’ 11.

-www.SoConSports.com-