FLORENCE, SC – A walk-off fielder's choice grounder and a pivotal two-out error with the bases loaded allowed Francis Marion University to rally and claim a Peach Belt Conference doubleheader sweep of USC Aiken, 2-1 in nine innings and 5-3, Thursday evening (March 7) at the FMU Softball Stadium.

Junior right-handed pitcher Taylor Luff grounded back to the pitcher with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, but with the first baseman hustling back to cover the bag no throw was made and Megan Smith crossed home plate with the winning run as the Patriots took game one 2-1.

In the nightcap, FMU won 5-3 after scoring four times in the bottom of the fifth inning, the last two runs coming home when the Pacer first baseman dropped the ball as she tagged Patriot batter Lindsey Brown on a slow roller up the line.

Francis Marion improves to 15-7 overall and 3-1 in the PBC.  The Patriots will play host to Georgia Southwestern State University for a doubleheader on Breast Cancer Awareness Day, Saturday at 1 p.m.  FMU will then host Columbus State University, Sunday at 1 p.m. on Youth Day 2013.

USCA, which was 11-1-1 in its last 13 contests, drops to 12-6-1 and 0-2.

Luff (8-5) scattered nine hits in game one, while striking out five.  USCA relief pitcher Taylor Morgan (6-3) took the loss as she pitched the final 2.2 innings.

Luff also drove in the Patriots' first run with a run-scoring single up the middle in the fifth frame.  A one-out throwing error from the mound moved runners into scoring position and set the stage for Luff's hit.

USCA had taken a 1-0 advantage in the second inning on a two-out RBI single through the left side by catcher Hillary Stewart.  The hit scored Victoria Burkett who had tripled.

Luff was the lone FMU player with multiple hits as she went 2-for-4.  Stewart led the Pacers with a 3-for-4 performance.

In the second contest, FMU sophomore righty Katie Carnes (5-1) allowed eight hits, fanned two, and walked three in recording her sixth complete game of the season.  Morgan (6-4) pitched the entire second game for USCA, also allowing eight hits with three strikeouts and four walks.

Trailing 3-1 entering the last of the fifth, Francis Marion plated four runs on three hits, two walks, and the one key error. A sacrifice fly by senior third baseman Tristan Faile and a run-scoring single up the middle by senior catcher Olivia Ferguson knotted the score at 3-3.  Back-to-back walks to Smith and Carnes loaded the bases with one two outs.  Brown then grounded a 3-2 pitch down the line at the first baseman who fielded the ball and elected to tag the hard-charging Brown.  The ball popped out of her glove allowing Ferguson to score and a sliding Smith beat the throw home with FMU's fifth run.

Brown later stranded three Pacer baserunners in the top of the sixth when she snared a hot liner at shortstop and flipped to second base for the force out to end the inning.

Luff, Faile, and junior second baseman Kristie Hanewinckel all had two hits for Francis Marion in the second game.

Centerfielder Sarah Montei and leftfielder Brittney Williamson both had two hits for USCA in the nightcap. Third baseman Lindsey Jones (1-for-4) had the Pacers' lone RBI, as the other two runs came home on a wild pitch and a two-out FMU error.