STATESBORO - Georgia Southern softball used timely hitting late to pick up a non-conference doubleheader sweep from visiting Furman University on Tuesday afternoon at Eagle Field. The Eagles won game one, 6-4, in eight innings and took game two, 8-4, in come-from-behind fashion.

The wins moved Georgia Southern to 11-4 on the young season, while Furman fell to 2-9. It was the first meeting between the two teams since 2014, the year Georgia Southern left the SoCon for the Sun Belt Conference. 

"Overall, these were two great team wins," Georgia Southern Head Softball Coach Kim Dean said. "We had a lot of contributions from a lot of different people. You know, just trusting the process, and just keeping it simple at the plate. We were driving fly balls when we needed tags, and finding simple hits up the middle when we needed RBIs. Since we weren't able to play this past weekend, it was nice to get out here and take on some very good competition in Furman, which will prepare us for this week in Madeira Beach."

GAME ONE: GS 6, FURMAN 4 (8 inn.)

The Eagles led, 3-1, in the top of the seventh inning thanks to a two-run home run by Shelby Wilson in the third inning, but Furman's Emily DeMonte tied the game with a two-run blast in the seventh. Furman took a 4-3 lead in the top of the eighth inning thanks to an RBI single from Cammy Pereira, but Georgia Southern tied things up in the bottom of the eighth on a Wilson RBI double. Logan Harrell then came up with two outs and worked a 10-pitch at-bat against DeMonte and blasted a walk-off two-run home run to center field to give the Eagles the win.

Ashleigh Morton (4-2) notched the win in relief with one inning of one-hit ball, striking out one, while DeMonte (2-6) took the loss for the Paladins, giving up seven hits and six runs - four earned - in 7 2/3 innings of work, walking one while striking out three. Wilson finisehd the game 2-for-4 with three RBIs to lead Georgia Southern at the plate.

GAME TWO: GS 8, FURMAN 4

Furman jumped out to a 4-1 lead thanks to a pair of home runs from Marissa Guimbarda, who had three total in the doubleheader. Georgia Southern started its comeback in the bottom of the fourth as an RBI groundout from Mekhia Freeman and an RBI single from Faith Shirley made it a 4-3 Paladin lead heading to the fifth inning.

The Eagles would take the lead for good in the fifth on a bases-loaded walk drawn by Ashlynn Gunter and a pinch-hit sacrifice fly by Layton Harrell. Georgia Southern would then tack on three insurance runs in the sixth on a wild pitch, an RBI double by Allyssah Mullis and an RBI single by Gunter.

Rylee Waldrep (3-2) collected the win in relief for the Eagles, hurling 3 1/3 hitless innings, walking one while striking out one. Mackense Greico (0-3) took the loss for the Paladins, giving up eight hits and eight runs - four earned - in six innings of work, walking seven while striking out three.

Hannah Farrell went 3-for-4 to lead the Eagles at the plate, while Gunter went 2-for-2 with two walks drawn and two RBI.