The Blue Hose scored four in the fifth and three in the sixth to break a 5-5 deadlock and take the 12-5 in the first game of a doubleheader with the Furman Paladin softball team at Pepsi Stadium in Greenville, S.C. Furman scored a run in the bottom of the eighth inning to break a scoreless tie and win the second game, 1-0.
PC moves to 1-6 on the year, while Furman goes to 1-5. PC is next in action Mar. 1-2 at the Elon Phoenix Tournament in Elon, N.C. The Blue Hose take on Coppin State and Dayton on Saturday before facing the Flyers again and Elon on Sunday.
Leading PC in hits in game one were Erin Ruff and Miranda Rogers with their three hits apiece. Shelby Petik was tops in RBI with her four. Rogers came away with two RBI, while Kersten Legacki added two as well, coming off her two hits. Sydney Seigler pitched 4.2 innings in relief for the Blue Hose and picked up the win (1-4) after giving up four runs off three hits.
Sieara Bishop paced Furman with two hits and one RBI. Lauren Collier started for Furman and threw 4.0 innings, surrendering six earned runs off eight hits, while striking out five. She took the loss to go to 0-3 on the year.
In game one PC scored a run in the first off a RBI single from Rogers that drove in Ruff, who opened the game with a double to right field. After a scoreless second inning, the Blue Hose loaded the bases in the third, with Petik using the opportunity to hit her first home run of the season, a grand slam over the left field wall to give PC the 5-0 lead.
Furman responded with four runs in the bottom of the third, two coming off a Stephanie Spain two-RBI double to left. Bishop added the tying run in the bottom of the fourth with a RBI single to center field.
Legacki ended the tie in the top of the fifth with a two-RBI double to right. Petik came home the next batter off a Furman error. Erin Taylor sacrificed Legacki home and the Blue Hose held a 9-5 lead after five.
Ruff hit her first home run of the season, this one to left center to five the Blue Hose 10 runs. Rogers added on to her RBI total with a double that scored Jill McLean, while Abby Allen grounded out, sending Rogers home for the 12th and final run for PC.
PC recorded three hits in game two, with Rogers recording two, including a double in the first inning. The Blue Hose were unable to get them when it mattered as they stranded four in the nightcap.
Furman posted just four hits, but stranded seven runners, after PC committed three errors. Leading the Paladins was Nikki Legg, who was two-of three behind the plate.
Katie Brown threw the entire game for PC, giving up an unearned run off four hits, while striking out two, for her first loss of the season.
Shelby Parker went the distance for Furman, moving to 1-2 on the year after pitching a three-hit shutout with 13 strikeouts.
After seven-and-a-half innings of scoreless softball Furman ended the game after Alexis Galinski scored off a PC scoring error.
