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MACON, Ga. — For nearly 24 hours, Furman softball looked like a team that had finally put it all together.
The swings were decisive. The pitching was composed. The execution, for once, matched the flashes the Paladins have shown all season.
And then, in the span of a single inning Sunday, it all unraveled.
After sweeping Saturday’s doubleheader, Furman carried a late lead into the series finale before surrendering three runs in the bottom of the seventh, falling 5-4 to Mercer in a walk-off loss that turned a potential sweep into a bittersweet series win.
Game 1: Hawkins’ Slam Holds Up as Furman Fends Off Mercer Rally
Furman didn’t wait to take control.
The Paladins loaded the bases in the first inning with a single, a hit batter, and a walk, setting the stage for Rachel Hawkins, who crushed a grand slam to left-center to give Furman a 4-0 lead.
Mercer responded quickly.
In the bottom of the second, the Bears used back-to-back RBI doubles to cut into the deficit, then added a sacrifice fly in the third to make it a one-run game at 4-3.
From there, the game tightened.
Furman found breathing room in the sixth inning, and it came with two outs. AB Cipalla and Kristyn Embler each recorded hits to extend the frame before Sylvia Burroughs delivered a two-run single to left-center, pushing the lead to 6-3.
Mercer answered with a solo home run from Olivia Lenzen in the bottom half, but Embler remained in control. The freshman right-hander finished off a complete game, allowing four runs on five hits to secure the 6-4 win.
Game 2: Noonan Dominates in Relief as Furman Completes Sweep
Game two tested Furman early, but quickly turned into a showcase for its pitching.
Mercer put immediate pressure on in the second inning, drawing back-to-back walks against starter Lily O’Bryan. Jamison Noonan entered in relief and limited the damage to a single run, a moment that proved pivotal.
From there, she took over.
Noonan tossed six scoreless innings, allowing just four hits while walking one and striking out two, keeping Mercer from building any sustained offense.
Furman’s bats backed her up in the fourth.
After AB Cipalla reached on a leadoff single, Sylvia Burroughs delivered again, launching a two-run home run to straightaway center to give the Paladins a 2-1 lead.
The Paladins added insurance in the sixth. Kate Stoltzfus opened the inning with a double and scored on Burroughs’ second extra-base hit of the game, a double into the right-center gap. After a walk extended the inning, Hawkins drove in another run with a two-out single to make it 5-1.
Noonan allowed a leadoff single in the sixth before retiring the final six batters she faced to close out the win.
Game 3: Late-Inning Breakdown Costs Furman Sweep
Sunday followed a familiar script, until the final inning.
Furman struck first when Kate Stoltzfus led off the game with a single, stole second, and eventually scored on a groundout. Mercer answered immediately, as Grace Jones hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the first to give the Bears a 2-1 lead.
Furman regained control in the fourth.
With two outs, Sydney McGuirk delivered an RBI single to tie the game, and Stoltzfus followed with another run-scoring hit to put the Paladins back in front. In the fifth, aggressive baserunning extended the lead, as Kristyn Embler stole two bases and scored on an error to make it 4-2.
Behind it, Gwen Hill was dominant.
The freshman retired 16 consecutive batters at one point, holding Mercer in check and carrying the lead into the seventh inning.
But the final frame unraveled quickly.
A hit batter opened the inning, followed by a walk and an infield single to load the bases. A passed ball brought Mercer within one run, and another walk reloaded the bases with one out.
Even then, Furman was close to escaping.
Reliever Kristyn Embler entered and recorded a strikeout, leaving the Paladins one out away. But a routine ground ball was mishandled and thrown away, allowing both the tying and winning runs to score and sealing Mercer’s 5-4 walk-off win.
What It Means
Furman leaves Macon with a series win, but also with a clear sense of what slipped away.
Across Saturday’s doubleheader, the Paladins combined timely hitting, power production, and steady pitching. AB Cipalla led the offense with five hits on the day, while Sylvia Burroughs and Rachel Hawkins each drove in five runs.
It was a complete performance.
But Sunday served as a reminder of how narrow the margin can be.
For six innings, Furman controlled the finale. One inning changed everything.
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