TAMPA, FL - Senior southpaw Michaela Wolf pitched a seven-hitter and drove in three runs as Francis Marion University beat the University of Tampa 3-1 in the first game of their non-conference softball doubleheader on Thursday afternoon (March 18).  However, Tampa returned the favor by rallying for a 3-1 victory in game two to salvage a split of the twinbill.

Francis Marion (22-9) concludes its short Spring Break trip to Florida with a 3-1 mark.  The Patriots return home to face Georgia College & State University in a Peach Belt Conference doubleheader on Sunday at noon.

Wolf improved to 13-4 with the game-one win.  She struck out four and walked no one, while needing only 73 pitches, 58 of which found the strike zone.

After allowing a first-inning run, Wolf provided all the offense FMU would need with a three-run double in the third inning.  She finished the game 2-for-3 at the plate.

Francis Marion took a 1-0 advantage in the fourth frame of game two when Ashley Jaramillo doubled and later scored on a two-out RBI-single by Jessica Birchmeier.  Jaramillo, who also had a hit in the opener, extended her hitting streak to 10 games.

Tampa rallied for three runs against FMU junior right-hander Cea Knox (9-4) in the bottom of the sixth.  The final two runs came across on a groundout and a two-out wild pitch.  The Patriots had won each of their past 40 games when leading after four innings.

Sophomore center fielder Destinea Schneider had two of FMU's five hits in the second contest.