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WILSON, NC- Junior Tristan Faile notched seven RBIs and hit two homeruns on a day that saw Francis Marion University pick up a pair of road wins over the Barton College Bulldogs, 9-0 in 5 innings and 6-4, Thursday afternoon at Gillette Park in Wilson, NC.  The win is the fifth in a row for FMU who have won 13 of its last 14.

FMU will be in action again on Wednesday (Mar. 21) when it hosts Peach Belt Conference foe Augusta State University in a doubleheader starting at 1:30 pm.

In the first game, Francis Marion (24-8) scored early and never looked back.  The Patriot bats scored all of their runs in three consecutive innings starting in the top of the second when freshman Krissy Longstreet scored after senior Kayla Ellingsen reached on a fielder's choice to give FMU the 1-0 lead.

FMU pushed across three more runs in the top of the third frame starting when senior Destinea Schneider came around to score on Faile's double.  Schneider led off the inning drawing a walk then swiped second before the two-bagger scored her.  Sophomore Carson Summersett tacked on another run later in the inning on a single to right that brought around senior Ashley Jaramillo.  The Patriots ended the third up 4-0 after another Ellingsen fielder's choice led to an FMU run, this time scoring Faile.

The biggest blow in the game came when Francis Marion put a five spot on Barton (7-12) in the top of the fourth inning, highlighted by Faile's three-run blast (5) into centerfield accounting for three of Faile's game high four RBIs.  FMU racked up eight hits as a team with Faile, Summersett and sophomore Sara Broderick each picking up two apiece. 

Ellingsen teamed up with sophomore Taylor Luff to shut down the Bulldog bats.  Ellingsen (8-3) worked the first three innings allowing one hit and striking out.  Luff completed the game handling the final two frames, giving up one hit and no walks.  Kendall Street (2-3) took the loss for Barton College in the opener.

The nightcap saw the Patriots jump out to an early 1-0 lead in the first when Jaramillo deposited the first pitch she saw over the centerfield wall.  FMU added to its advantage (2-0) in the second inning on a triple from Broderick to right that scored sophomore Lindsey Brown after she singled the previous at-bat.

Barton climbed back into the game in the bottom of the second on Amber Weaver's two out homerun.  The Bulldogs made their most noise on the day hanging a three spot on FMU in the bottom of the third aided by three Patriot errors to take a 4-2 lead.

Faile picked up where she left off in the first game with her second homerun (6) of the afternoon in the top of the fifth, this time a two run long ball.  The homerun knotted up the score at 4-4 for an inning until Schneider singled home freshman Katie Carnes in the top of the sixth.  Another Faile RBI single added an insurance run to Francis Marion's bulge, making it 6-4.

The Bulldogs threatened in the bottom of the seventh inning before Carnes stranded the tying runs on base.  Carnes picked up the win in relief (9-3) scattering five hits over five innings of work, while allowing two unearned runs.  Luff got the start for FMU pitching the first two innings allowing four runs, two of which were earned before being lifted in the third. 

Schneider, Summersett and Faile all finished the second game with multi-hit performances, with Faile going 3-for-4.  Barton's Emily Jordan was tabbed the losing pitcher for the Bulldogs.