Terriers sweep doubleheader, take series

Furman's Ben Anderson went 6-for-8 Saturday, but the Paladins were
swept by Wofford in a doubleheader. Photo courtesy of Furman.

A day after its best defensive performance of the season, Furman committed five errors Saturday as Wofford swept a doubleheader at Latham Stadium. After defeating Terrier ace Adam Scott on Friday, the Paladins were seeking a second consecutive Southern Conference series win. But Wofford belted five home runs Saturday to record 13-5 and 5-2 wins.

Furman falls to 17-19 overall and 3-6 in the SoCon, while the Terriers improve to 25-12 and 6-3 in the league.

Game 1
Wofford 13, Furman 5
Wofford scored five runs over the first two innings and six over the final two to cruise to the win in Saturday's opener.

It was quickly evident that any momentum from Friday's big, emotional win did not carry over to Saturday. The Terriers took a 3-0 lead in the first on a two-run home run by Mack Nathanson and a solo shot by Brett Rodriguez. Wofford had just one infield single in the second, but took advantage of a fielding error, throwing error, passed ball and catcher's interference to make it 5-0.

Furman got back in it in the bottom of the second when Ben Anderson delivered a bases-clearing, two-out double to cut the lead to 5-3. The loudest ovation of game one came in the bottom of the fifth when Jake Crawford hammered a home run that hit the Ingles' target on the left-field hill. That gave everyone in attendance a free sub sandwich from Ingles and brought the Paladins to within two at 6-4.

Just as it did in the third, Wofford answered a Furman score with a score of its own the next inning. That happened after each of the Paladins' three scoring innings. After Furman cut the lead to 7-4 in the seventh, Wofford responded with a three-run eighth.

After a single and a hit by pitch to start the eighth, Wofford leadoff man Colin Davis couldn't get a sac bunt down. Instead, he hammered a 2-2 pitch to centerfield for a three-run homer that spoiled what was a great relief outing by Jordan Beatson.

After coming on in relief of starter Grant Schuermann (2-6) with a man on and nobody out in the third, Beatson allowed one run on two hits in five innings of relief before the eighth-inning trouble. Schuermann left as a precaution after experiencing tightness in his left shoulder.

Davis finished with five RBIs to lead the Terriers. Austin Higginbotham (4-2) allowed four runs on nine hits in six innings for the win. Matt Ellmyer gave up just one unearned run on one hit over the final three innings for his third save.

Anderson went 4-for-5 to lead the Paladins.

Game 2
Wofford 5, Furman 2
Furman got five hits and drew three walks off Wofford starter Grant Byers in less than five innings, but only had two runs to show for it. Reliever Jake Hershman mowed the Paladins down the rest of the way as Wofford rallied to win game two.

Anderson smacked Byers' first pitch of the day off the wall in left-center field for his fifth triple, one shy of the Furman season record. Anderson scored on Jason Costa's groundout and one out later, Brandon Elmy hit his fifth home run of the season and 23rd of his career to stake the Paladins to a 2-0 lead.

Furman got two walks in the second and a walk and a single to start the third, but double plays in both innings helped keep the Paladins off the board.

Nathanson crushed the first pitch of the fourth inning to cut the lead in half. Wofford then took advantage of a Furman error that extended the inning and Lawson's RBI-single tied the game. Furman starter Matt Lazzaro's got a strikeout to get out of the inning, but that was it for him. Lazzaro left after 63 pitches as a precaution because of elbow tightness.

Heath Hawkins came in an tossed three effective innings of relief. His only mistake came when Cody Miller led off the sixth with a homer to give the Terriers a 3-2 lead. The tank hit empty on Hawkins (0-2) when he walked the first two batters in the eighth. Two bunts and and one error later, Wofford added two more runs without a hit.

Hershman (2-3) came on in the fifth with a man on and one out and didn't allow a hit until Logan Taplett's two-out single in the ninth. Hershman then struck out pinch-hitter Jared Mihalik to end the game. Hershman had one walk and six strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings of shutout relief.

Anderson and Taplett had two hits apiece to account for four of Furman's six.

The Paladins return to action Wednesday at Gardner-Webb at 6 p.m.