Junior Jessie Hackworth’s (Clinton, Tenn.) grand slam in the top of the seventh lifted the ETSU softball team to a 7-0 victory over Furman in game one; however, the Lady Paladins spoiled the Lady Buccaneers’ chances of pulling off a sweep for the second straight season as they rallied past ETSU, 5-3, in the nightcap Saturday afternoon at Pepsi Stadium.
Despite leaving 10 runners stranded in game one, ETSU managed to catch some breaks and defeat the reigning SoCon tournament champions.
Darci Gilbert (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) scattered five hits and struck out four as she went the distance, marking her third career shutout. The hitting trio of Hackworth, Trisha Massezo (Russelville Tenn.) and Vicki McCoy (Ringgold Ga.) combined to go 5-for-11, with two homers, three runs scored and six RBI. Hackworth drove in four and Massenzo batted in two.
ETSU jumped out to a quick three-run lead in game two, but Furman plated two runs in the fourth and tacked the go-ahead run across the plate in the sixth for the come from behind victory.
Marissa Hardy (Rocklin Cal.) suffered the loss, allowing five runs (four earned) on seven hits.
After being handed the loss in the first game, Lana Mackey came back and tossed four innings of one-hit ball to even her recorded at 1-1.
The Lady Bucs will now being a stretch of playing in four consecutive tournaments, beginning next weekend with the Cox Communications Classic in Gainesville, Fla. ETSU kicks off the five-game, three-day tournament with ACC foe North Carolina on Friday at 9 a.m.

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