FLORENCE, SC – Junior second baseman Sydney Ditto drilled a three-run extra-inning homer to give Queens University of Charlotte a 10-9 win over Francis Marion University, Friday night (Feb. 16) in the second game of the Patriots Invitational Softball Tournament.

Queens also won the first game of the three-day event 7-6 over Chowan University.

Saturday will feature four games at the FMU Softball Stadium: Chowan vs Mercy College at 11 a.m., Francis Marion vs Chowan at 1 p.m., Queens vs Mercy at 3 p.m., and Francis Marion vs Queens at 5 p.m.  Admission is $8 for adults and $5 for students.

Francis Marion (5-2) received two-hit performances from freshman leftfielder Taylor DeLeon and sophomore designated player Shania Domingue.  Patriot leadoff batter Taylor Johnson reached base five times and scored four times, while extending her season-long hitting streak to seven games.  Junior catcher Chelsea Welty also lengthened her hitting streak to seven games.

FMU built a 7-1 lead after four frames.  Senior third baseman Sam Chiudina, junior second baseman Jennie Polak, and Welty all delivered run-scoring singles in a four-run first inning.  A three-base throwing error on a bunt single by DeLeon in the second inning expanded the Patriot advantage to 6-0.  After Queens scored a single tally in the top of the third, FMU junior first baseman Jessica Harney restored the six-run margin with an RBI single up the middle in the fourth.

However, Queens scored three times in each of the sixth and seventh frames to knot the score at 7-7.  In the bottom of the seventh, junior right fielder Jaime Harney led off by drilling a shot to the right field fence and tried to legged it into a triple.  Originally called safe by the base umpire, she was called out on appeal to the home plate umpire.

The game used the international tiebreaker rule in extra innings.  Ditto's homer over the left centerfield fence staked the Royals to a 10-7 advantage.  In the bottom of the eighth, DeLeon laced an RBI-double down the right field line to bring FMU to within 10-8.  The Patriots loaded the bases with one out and crept to within 10-9 on a sacrifice fly by Welty.  However, Queens sophomore right-hander Courtney Pearson got the last out to earn her first save of 2018.

Freshman right Shannon McGuire (4-0) was credited with the win for the Royals, while graduate student Samantha Wroblewski (0-1) took the loss in relief of starter Sydney Holland.

Queens of Charlotte 10, Francis Marion Univ. 9 (Feb 16, 2018 at Florence, SC)
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Queens of Charlotte. 001 003 33 - 10 12  5      (9-2)
Francis Marion Univ.  420 100 02 -  9 10  4      (5-2)
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Pitchers: Queens of Charlotte - Ali Celiberti; Shannon McGuire(2); Courtney Pearson(8) and
Jordan Hunt. Francis Marion Univ. - Sydney Holland; Samantha Wroblewski(7) and Chelsea Welty.
Win-Shannon McGuire (4-0)  Save-Courtney Pearson (1)  Loss-Samantha Wroblewski (0-1)  T-3:01  A-55
HR QUSB18 - Sydney Ditto (4).
Weather: Mostly clear,81,Winds W@18 mph
McGuire faced 2 batters in the 8th.