Baseball seasons are filled with ups and downs. For Furman this year, it's been a gigantic roller coaster. Sunday's Southern Conference regular season finale symbolized that perfectly.
When Furman put seven runs up in the first inning Sunday against VMI, it appeared the Paladins were on their way to their fourth sweep in the past five SoCon series. A win Sunday would've made Furman 17-3 in its last 20 games following a 3-17 showing in the previous 20 games.
But it was not to be.
While two VMI relievers shut out the Paladins over the final 12 2/3 innings, the Keydets chipped away and pulled out a stunning 9-7 win in 13 innings.
Carter Grote began Furman's big opening inning with a one-out double. After each of his teammates that followed all reached, Grote made the second out of the inning on a sacrifice fly to make it 7-0. Brandon Elmy belted a three-run home run for his team-leading 11th round tripper this season. Cameron Whitehead had an RBI-single and Bret Huebner hit a two-run double also in the first.
But that was it for Furman's offensive day. VMI's Matthew Eagle allowed five hits in 5 2/3 shutout innings, before Ryan Bennett (5-0) gave up three hits in seven scoreless innings to earn the win.
Furman senior Matthew Quarles looked to close out his home career with a win, but pitched in and out of trouble over his five innings of work. Despite allowing eight hits and four walks, Quarles limited the Keydets to three runs and left with a 7-3 lead after five innings.
Tyler Kimbrell, who had allowed just one earned run over his last 11 innings since March 8, came on in relief and worked an easy 1-2-3 sixth inning. It was a different story in the seventh though as VMI rallied for four runs. Jake Huggins capped it with a game-tying three-run homer.
Despite blowing the big lead, it appeared that Furman was still destined to win. That was especially the case when VMI left two runners on the ninth, then left the bases loaded in the 10th, 11th and 12th innings without scoring. The Keydets (21-29, 7-14), who had 19 hits, drew 11 walks and stranded 21 baserunners, finally broke through again with two runs in the 13th thanks in part to Furman's first two errors of the game.
The Paladins could not take advantage of its chances as VMI committed all four of its errors over the final four innings. A pair of errors and a walk loaded the bases for Furman in the bottom of the 13th, but Bennett got Sims Griffith to bounce into a double play to end the game.
The sour taste from Sunday's loss shouldn't spoil the remarkable turnaround the Paladins made in SoCon play. After a 1-8 start in the conference, Furman finished at 14-10. The Paladins (27-24) are currently in fourth place in the SoCon, but can finish anywhere from second to fourth. While Furman has completed conference play, every other SoCon team has one league series left.
The Paladins return to action Tuesday at Georgia at 6 p.m.
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