AIKEN, SC - The 19th-ranked Francis Marion University softball team gave up a combined seven runs in the first innings of Wednesday's (March 25) Peach Belt Conference doubleheader and lost both games to USC Aiken 6-3 and 7-1 at J.H. Satcher Field.

Francis Marion drops to 23-10 overall and 5-5 in the PBC, while finishing a stretch of 10 straight road contests with a 5-5 mark.  The Pacers improve to 26-11 and 8-6. FMU will play host to Georgia College & State for a PBC twinbill on Saturday at noon.

Sophomore Jennifer Day, junior Toni Flessate and freshman Whitney Clary all hit home runs in the series as senior Jessica Strickland broke the all-time hit record.

For the afternoon, Francis Marion's Jessica Birchmeier recorded three hits, while Lakyn Bendle, Nicole Reuter, and Laura Hauff all collected two hits.

Game 1: USC Aiken 6, Francis Marion 3

The Pacers scored twice in the bottom half of the first inning off FMU junior left-hander Michaela Wolf (13-6) and never trailed. The Patriots rallied in the seventh frame, but came up short.

The Patriots placed runners on third base in both the first and third frames, but USCA junior pitcher Toni Flessate (12-4) forced Francis Marion to hit the ball at defenders to end the threats. In the third frame, a diving catch in left field by the Pacers' Day helped Flessate out of that inning.

In the third, Strickland led off with a single and Flessate hit her second home run of the season to left field. The next batter, Day, hit a solo shot in the same spot for her fourth round tripper of the season.

Francis Marion threatened again in the fifth frame as the first two batters recorded singles, but the next three Patriots hit the ball right at Pacer defenders for outs.

With one out in the bottom of the fifth, Clary entered the box and hit her first collegiate home run to up the Pacer lead to 6-0.

In the seventh, the first five FMU batters all hit singles, including RBI singles by Lakyn Bendle and Birchmeier, before USCA head coach Jerry Snyder called a timeout to calm down his junior pitcher.  Flessate then retired the next three batters, allowing only a sacrifice fly to Ashley Jaramillo to end the game.

Wolf gave up five runs, all earned, on six hits, while walking one and striking out one. Freshman righty Lauren Bubeck came on in relief and allowed one run on two hits while fanning three.

Game 2: USC Aiken 7, Francis Marion 1

The Pacers sent nine batters to the plate in the first frame and scored five runs off Patriot senior right-hander Jessie Alesi (0-1).

Francis Marion scored one run in the second inning on a run-scoring single by senior catcher Kayla Ruede.

Freshman Lauren Rickabaugh (6-3) pitched the whole game for the Pacers. She only allowed only four hits, and no Patriot runner got past second base after the second inning.

Bubeck pitched the final five innings for Francis Marion, allowing two runs on seven hits and striking out two.  She also went 1-for-2 at the plate.