GREENVILLE, S.C. ? Presbyterian College dropped both games of a doubleheader with Furman on Wednesday at Furman Stadium. Furman claimed game one 9-7 in 10 innings, while the Paladins took a 10-9 victory in game two.
The Blue Hose are now 7-17 on the season. Furman improved to 14-11 on the year with the two victories.
Game One
The score 4-4 after nine innings, PC and Furman went into extra innings in game one. The Blue Hose looked as if they would take the contest, scoring three runs in the first half of the extra frame.
Jesse Harmon (Newberry, S.C.) was able to put the Blue Hose on top by the score of 7-4 in the 10th inning when he hit a three-run home run to center field. The home run was the first of the year for the sophomore.
Harmon's home run scored Jim Wagers (Blackstock, S.C.) and Steven Henry (Hoschton, Ga.). Wagers had reached base on a fielder's choice, while Henry had singled to left field to collect his first hit of the game.
The 7-4 Blue Hose lead would not last as the Paladins plated five runs in the bottom half of the 10th to earn the 9-7 win.
Connor Lind obtained Furman's first two runs in the 10th when he singled to score two and pull the Paladins within one at 7-6. Furman freshman outfielder Rob Fondu shortly thereafter picked up what was probably the biggest hit of his young career when he hit a three-run home run to left center to score the go-ahead runs for the Paladins.
The Blue Hose had two players pick up multiple hits in the heartbreaking game one loss to the Paladins. Kyle Craven (Savannah, Ga.) was 2-for-4 with one RBI, while Harmon, who took the loss on the hill and was PC's fifth pitcher in the game one loss, was 2-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Henry scored three runs for PC in the game.
Marcus Rose led the Paladins, ending game one 5-for-6 from the dish.
Game Two
Because of the postponement from Tuesday the second game on Wednesday between PC and Furman was a seven-inning affair.
The Blue Hose showed great resolve in the second game despite having their hearts broken in the 10th inning in game one. Nevertheless the second game would end much in the same way that the first did ? with the Blue Hose having their hearts broken by the Paladins.
In fact, PC held a 9-8 lead in the sixth inning, but the Paladins were able to plate one run each in the bottom of the sixth and seventh innings to claim the 10-9 win.
Amazingly, game two ended with another game-winning home run by the Paladins. Joey Rodgers acquired the home run for Furman when he homered to left field.
The Blue Hose had placed itself ahead in the contest with a seven-run fifth inning. The Blue Hose batted around in the inning. Jared Combs (Pooler, Ga.) was the first and the last player to bat for PC in the inning.
Combs got things rolling for the Blue Hose in the fifth when he hit a home run to left field. The home run was the third of the year for Combs.
PC would score six more runs over the course of the inning before Combs flied out to the Furman leftfielder to close out the inning.
Combs overall had one of his better outings of the season in the second game. Combs was 3-for-4 with two RBIs and one run scored.
Combs was one of three Blue Hose with multiple hits in the game. Craven was 2-for-4 with one run scored and Casey Carlson (Lexington, S.C.) was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
Rodgers led Furman in the game two win, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one RBI and two runs scored.
Next Up
The Blue Hose next travel to Birmingham, Ala. to take on UAB for a three-game series. The Blue Hose and Blazers will first square off at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 4. The series will continue at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 5 before the final game of the three-game set is played at 1 p.m. on Sunday, April 6.
