FLORENCE, SC – Senior outfielder Kori Waugh homered to lead off the eighth inning to give Columbus State University a 1-0 win over Francis Marion University and a sweep of their Peach Belt Conference softball doubleheader on Sunday afternoon (March 10).

In the opener, left fielder Branigan Wix and first baseman Taylor Turner both homered to back the one-hit shutout pitching of senior right-hander Mollie Russell as the Cougars prevailed 3-0.

Francis Marion drops to 17-9 overall and 5-3 in the conference, while CSU improves to 20-9 and 4-0.  FMU will play host to Erskine College for a doubleheader on Wednesday at 3 p.m. (PLEASE NOTE THE TWINBILL WAS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED FOR THURSDAY).

Russell (10-5) surrendered only a fifth-inning double by FMU junior Danielle Payne.  Russell struck out eight, walked no one, and allowed only four total base runners.  Despite that fact, Francis Marion did manage to get runners to second and third in two different frames – with two outs in the fourth and with no outs in the fifth.

FMU junior righty Taylor Luff (9-6) gave up the three runs, one of which was unearned, on four hits, while fanning 10 and issuing five walks.

The first run of the game came in the third inning when Wix hit a 3-2 pitch over the right field fence to put the Cougars up 1-0.  In the fourth, it was Wix again as she walked with the bases loaded bringing in Kodi Ricketson to increase the lead to 2-0. The final run came in the fifth, when Turner turned on a 1-1 pitch and homered down the left field line.

In the second contest, Payne and Turner both moved to the mound and matched zeros until extra innings. Waugh hit the fourth pitch of the eighth inning off the scoreboard in straight-away left field for her 11th home run of the year to snap the scoreless deadlock.

Russell then relieved Turner and retired the Patriots in order in the last of the eighth to earn her first save of 2013.  Turner (6-2) allowed just four hits, struck out three, and walked two.  Payne (3-2) allowed three hits, fanned one, and walked two.

FMU stranded a pair of runners in the second and fourth frames and got runners to third in both the third and sixth innings.  The two teams combined to go 0-for-19 with runners on base in game two.

Junior outfielder Megan Smith had a sixth-inning double for the Patriots.