FLORENCE, SC – Junior infielder Ashley Jaramillo drove in a pair of runs with a home run and a single and Francis Marion University used a five-run second inning to beat Augusta State University 6-3 snd earn a split of Wednesday afternoon's (March 23) Peach Belt Conference softball doubleheader.  ASU won the opener 7-0 as junior right-hander Heather Hughes tossed a seven-hit shutout and shortstop Kacee Camp recorded three hits and drove in two runs.

Francis Marion moves to 20-13-1 overall and 5-5 in the PBC, while ASU is now 23-9 and 4-2.  The Patriots will play a PBC twinbill at Lander University on Thursday at 3 p.m.

Coming off the game-one win, ASU quickly put its first two runners of game two on second and third thanks to a pair of FMU errors.  However, sophomore southpaw Murphy McConnell (2-1) retired the next three batters to keep the game scoreless.  Jaramillo lifted her second homer of the season over the left field fence in the bottom of the first to give FMU its first lead of the afternoon.

The Patriots registered five runs on four hits, a walk, and a key error in the second.  Outfielders Brooke Barnhill and Destinea Schneider plated the first two runs on RBI singles.  FMU's third outfielder, senior Chelle Phillips, then followed with a two-run double down the right field line.  Jaramillo drove home the final run on a single to center field.

Augusta State answered with three runs in the top of the third inning.  Jessica Thornton hit a sacrifice fly to score the first run and a second runner also crossed the plate on the same play because of a Patriot throwing error.  Kaitlin Harris laced a single to right field to drive home the third Jaguar tally.

McConnell pitched the first four innings and allowed three runs on four hits.  Senior right-hander Cea Knox pitched the final three frames to earn her first career save. Knox stranded three runners in the sixth inning before pitching a perfect 1-2-3 top of the seventh.

In addition to Jaramillo's 2-for-3 line, Schneider was 2-for-4 in the second contest.

ASU starter Emily Headrick (10-3) was lifted in the second inning after allowing five runs, only one of which was earned.

In the opener, Camp also scored three times, while right fielder Kristen Jones collected two hits and a pair of RBIs.  Jones' RBI-double in the second inning would prove to be the only run ASU would need, but four insurance runs in the top of the seventh ended what had been a tight contest.

Hughes (8-4) struck out two and walked two.  FMU stranded eight base runners, including the bases loaded in both the fifth and sixth innings.

Schneider and Jaramillo also both had two hits in game one.  Junior righty Kayla Ellingsen (8-5) was tagged with the loss.

Augusta State Univ. 7, Francis Marion Univ. 0 (Mar 23, 2011 at Florence, SC) (Game 1)
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Augusta State Univ.. 010 101 4 -  7 10  0      (23-8, 4-1 PBC)
Francis Marion Univ. 000 000 0 -  0  7  3      (19-13-1, 4-5 PBC)
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Pitchers: Augusta State Univ. - Heather Hughes and Renae Kimbell. Francis Marion Univ. -
Kayla Ellingsen; Murphy McConnell(7) and Olivia Ferguson.
Win-Heather Hughes(8-4)  Loss-Kayla Ellingsen(8-5)  T-2:01  A-153
Weather: Partly Cloudy, 87, POLLEN

Francis Marion Univ. 6, Augusta State Univ. 3 (Mar 23, 2011 at Florence, SC) (Game 2)
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Augusta State Univ.. 003 000 0 -  3  6  3      (23-9, 4-2 PBC)
Francis Marion Univ. 150 000 X -  6  8  3      (20-13-1, 5-5 PBC)
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Pitchers: Augusta State Univ. - Emily Headrick; Laura Brown(2) and Renae Kimbell.
Francis Marion Univ. - Murphy McConnell; Cea Knox(5) and Olivia Ferguson.
Win-Murphy McConnell(2-1)  Save-Cea Knox(1)  Loss-Emily Headrick(10-3)  T-1:50  A-0
HR FMU - Ashley Jaramillo (2).
Weather: Part;y Cloudy, Windy, 75