WINGATE, NC – Junior second baseman Ashley Jaramillo laced an extra-inning RBI single to plate the lone run in game one and senior right-hander Cea Knox picked up a pair of pitching wins as Francis Marion University swept a non-conference softball doubleheader from Wingate University, Wednesday afternoon (Feb. 16).  Jaramillo's hit delivered a 1-0 win in eight innings in the opener, while Megann Sallinger homered and Knox pitched five strong innings en route to a 6-3 game-two victory.

Francis Marion (6-1), which received votes in this week's NFCA Top 25 poll, will open its Peach Belt Conference schedule on Saturday at 1 p.m. with a road doubleheader at Georgia Southwestern State University.

Knox and junior righty Kayla Ellingsen combined on a five-hit shutout in the opener.  Scoreless into the eighth frame, pinch runner Kayla Bowie was placed on second base via the tie-breaking rule.  After a pop out, Jaramillo singled up the middle to score Bowie with the winning run.  Knox stranded the potential tying run on third in the bottom of the frame.

Junior center fielder Destinea Schneider led FMU with a 3-for-4 performance in the opener, while Jaramillo was 2-for-3. 

Patriot catcher Olivia Ferguson picked the potential winning run off third base to end the bottom of the seventh, while right fielder Carson Summersett threw out a runner at the plate in the bottom of the sixth frame.

In the second game, Schneider collected two more hits, while freshman shortstop Sara Broderick was 2-for-4 with a run scored and one driven in.  Ferguson was 2-for-2 with two runs scored and one RBI.

Sallinger led off the second inning with a solo homer and the Patriots added three more runs in the frame, all with two outs, thanks in part to a Bulldog error and a wild pitch.  FMU never relinquished its 4-0 advantage.

Knox (3-0) allowed four hits and two runs in 5.2 innings before sophomore southpaw Murphy McConnell got the final four outs to earn her first career save.

Wingate falls to 2-2 on the young season.