FLORENCE, SC – Francis Marion University was limited to nine total hits on Saturday (March 12) as the Patriots lost two games at their own Invitational Tournament at Freedom Florence.  FMU fell to Catawba College 3-2 as the Indians plated the winning run in the bottom of the last inning on a passed ball, and the Patriots were blanked 3-0 by Brevard College.

The annual tournament will conclude on Sunday with games at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., and 1 p.m. Admission will be free for ages 6-and-under, $4 for ages 7-to-12, and $6 for ages 13-and-up.

Francis Marion (16-9-1) will play Rollins College at 11 a.m. and Barton College at 1 p.m.

In Saturday's opener, Francis Marion took a 2-0 lead on solo home runs by senior left fielder Chelle Phillips in the third and sophomore designated player Tristan Faile in the sixth. 

Catawba (11-8) tied the game in the bottom of the sixth on a two-run triple by freshman Kayla Myers.  The Indians scored the winning run in the last of the seventh when freshman Lauren Lewis reached third on a one-out, three-base outfield error.  Three pitches later, she scored on a passed ball.

FMU junior center fielder Destinea Schneider was 2-for-4 at the plate in the first game, while senior right-hander Cea Knox (9-5) suffered the hard-luck loss.  She allowed only four hits and struck out four.

In the second game, Brevard senior righty Martika Elmore tossed a four-hitter and struck out eight FMU batters.  The Patriots had runners on second and third with only one out in the fifth, but failed to score, and then stranded two runners on base in the sixth frame.

Brevard scored its three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning on a two-out, three-run double by second baseman Kayla Dorsey.

FMU junior Kayla Ellingsen (6-3) allowed only three hits in the loss.  Both Phillips and Faile also had a hit in game two.