FLORENCE, SC - Top-ranked North Georgia College & State University hit five home runs and senior right-hander Sarah Phillips allowed only one earned run in 12 innings as the Saints swept a Peach Belt Conference doubleheader from Francis Marion University, 6-0 and 12-8, Saturday afternoon (March 6).

Francis Marion falls to 11-7 overall and 3-5 in the Peach Belt, while the Saints are 15-0 and 2-0.  FMU will play host to Lander University for a PBC twinbill on Sunday at noon.

FMU junior right-hander Cea Knox (3-3) was the losing pitcher in both games.  At the plate, she had a hit in both contests, including an RBI single in game two.  Senior left fielder Jessica Birchmeier also registered a hit in both games, including a two-run double in the second contest.

In the opener, designated player Leslee Smith drilled two 2-run homers, both following Courtney McGuire singles, in the first and fourth innings.  McGuire's third hit was an RBI single up the middle in the fifth.  Pinch hitter Jessica Skeels accounted for the final Saints' run in the seventh with a solo home run to left center.

Knox (5th inning) and Birchmeier (6th) recorded the two FMU hits in game one.

Phillips (11-0) struck out a season-high 10 batters in game one.

In game two, both teams provided plenty of offense as 19 combined hits brought 20 runs home to score, but it was North Georgia who jumped out to an eight-run fourth inning lead.

Hilary Cox led off the second inning with a solo homer and Laura Voyles followed in the third inning with a two-run blast to give the Saints a 3-1 lead.

In fourth inning, North Georgia broke the game open with six runs on just three hits and two Patriot miscues. Voyles and Lauren Dykes provided back-to-back RBI singles in the inning, while McGuire lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to score a run.

Francis Marion answered in the bottom of the fourth with a pair of runs as Meghan Heiser guided a double to right center, bringing Jessica Hogan and Birchmeier home to cut the North Georgia lead to six at 9-3.

Voyles continued her three-hit game in the fifth inning with a single up the middle to plate two more runs as part of a three-run frame to give the Saints a nine-run lead at 12-3.

The Patriots added five runs down the stretch with an Ashley Jaramillo two-run homer in the fifth and the two-run double by Birchmeier in the seventh.