Paladins rout Gardner-Webb in record fashion

What a difference a week makes.
Facing the same Gardner-Webb team and starting pitcher Furman was blanked by seven days earlier, the Paladins avenged that 5-0 loss in historic fashion Wednesday. The friendly confines of Latham Stadium served as a launching pad as Furman shattered records in a 27-10 win.
One batter into the bottom of the fourth inning, every Furman starter already had a hit as the Paladins won for the 12th time in their last 13 games. Furman (23-21), which earlier this season went 33 innings without scoring a run, has scored 56 runs over its last 17 innings of batting.
Three school records were set Wednesday:

• Furman's 28 hits broke a record that had stood for more than a century. The Paladins had 27 hits in a 22-7 win over Presbyterian in 1915.
• The Paladins belted seven home runs topping the previous record of six set in a 13-9 win over Marshall 20 years ago.
• Furman's seventh home run of the night was hit by senior Carter Grote, who also broke the single-game record for hits with the round-tripper. Grote went 6-for-7 and posted career highs in RBIs (6) and runs (5).

The Paladins took a 3-0 lead after one inning before Gardner-Webb blasted three home runs in a six-run second inning. Furman responded with its version of home run derby in the bottom of the inning. After Sky Overton's three-run homer tied it, Brandon Elmy and Landon Kay made it back-to-back-to-back homers as the Paladins took an 8-6 lead.

That was just a sign of what was to come as Furman scored at least two runs in all but the fifth inning, when the Paladins were oddly enough retired in order on seven pitches. In the sixth, Elmy and Kay hit back-to-back homers again pushing the lead to 20-6. Over the last four games, Kay has hit a pair of homers in the same game twice.

Backup catcher John Michael Boswell belted his first career home run in the eighth, before Grote capped the offensive onslaught with a three-run homer.

Overton and Elmy each had five RBIs, while Jabari Richards, Overton, Elmy and Jake Crawford each scored four runs. Kay and Crawford added four hits apiece.

After Gardner-Webb's six-run second, Furman relievers Billy Greenfield (2-1), Heath Hawkins and Nolan Mullen shut out the Bulldogs (22-22) over the next 5 1/3 innings.

The 28-hit effort helped push Furman's team batting average to .314, which was tied for 12th-highest in Division I through Wednesday. The Paladins' .486 slugging percentage ranked 11th nationally.

Next up, Furman will carry its nine-game winning streak in Southern Conference play to Samford for a weekend series. Game one is scheduled to begin Friday at 7 p.m.