PEMBROKE, NC - Senior third baseman Tristan Faile came through in the clutch in game one driving home the only run of the game with a sixth-inning double as the Francis Marion University Patriots defeated the UNC Pembroke Braves 1-0, Thursday (April 11) in Peach Belt Conference softball action.  In game two, UNCP would answer with a 7-0 victory to salvage a split.

FMU finishes its regular season with a 25-25 overall mark, and its 9-13 conference record clinches a spot for next weekend's (April 20-21) PBC tournament in St. Augustine, Fla.

The Patriots were held hitless through five innings in the opener, but the big inning came in the sixth when a leadoff double by junior second baseman Kristie Hanewinckel sparked the bats. Senior catcher Olivia Ferguson then sacrificed bunted Hanewinckel over to third base, and Faile followed with a frozen rope double to left centerfield to plate the only run of the game.  In fact, those would be FMU's only base hits in game one.

UNCP (21-32, 6-16) would threaten in the seventh when a Caitlin Steel single with two outs put the tying run on base. Steel would then swipe second to make it a pressure-filled inning for the Patriots, however junior right-hander Taylor Luff struck out Megan Hillard to end the game.

Luff (14-13) had another strong performance on the mound as she pitched a complete game shutout and allowed only two hits. She added to her school record strikeout total for a season by fanning six Braves batters.

In game two, junior right hander Danielle Payne (6-11) took the loss in a game that was delayed 30 minutes in part because of a band of rain that rolled through Pembroke.  Before the rain, the Braves built a 5-0 advantage, thanks to a Brea Hartley home run in the fourth inning. Payne went six innings, giving up seven runs on eight hits, while striking out one.

The combined pitching of UNCP starter Star Gilley (9-11) and Natalie Klemann kept the Patriots out of the run column. Gilley went four innings, allowing five hits and striking out seven, while Klemann went the final three innings, allowing two hits and striking out one.

Faile went 3-for-3 at the plate in game two, extending her hitting streak to six contests, while junior shortstop Lindsey Brown collected a pair of hits.