FLORENCE, SC – Junior shortstop Taylor Johnson extended her season-long hitting streak to 10 games with a 4-for-4 day and senior third baseman Sam Chiudina and junior catcher Chelsea Welty both homered as Francis Marion University defeated Mercy College (N.Y.) 9-1, Sunday afternoon (Feb. 18) in the final game of the Patriots Invitational Softball Tournament.

Earlier in the day, Mercy (3-3) defeated Chowan 4-2.

FMU will play a doubleheader at Belmont Abbey College on Wednesday at 1 p.m., before returning home to host the FMU Winter Wrangle event on Feb. 25-25.

FMU freshman right-hander Reece Davis (4-1) pitched a complete game.  She allowed only three singles and one unearned run, while striking out one and issuing no walks.  She needed only 50 pitches to navigate the 5-inning contest.

Mercy scratched across an unearned run in the top of first to lead 1-0, but the Patriots quickly responded with five runs in their half of the frame.  Jessica Harney was hit by a pitch with the bases and Welty followed with a grand slam home run over the left center field fence. Welty also extended her season-long hitting streak to 10 games with the blast.  Harney has registered a team-high 18 runs batted in during the opening 10 contests.

The advantage grew to 6-1 in the third when Welty scored on a throwing error as the Mavericks attempted to turn an inning-ending double play.

Chiudina lined a two-run homer to left centerfield in the fourth to up the lead to 8-1.  She then ended the game with a Texas-league RBI single down the right field line in the last of the fifth to invoke the 8-run mercy rule.

Johnson doubled twice and singled twice and scored twice, while upping her season average to an even .500 (16-for-32).  In addition to Chiudina, Welty and junior right fielder Jaimie Harney both rapped out two hits.

Mercy sophomore southpaw Alexis Carmichael (0-1) suffered the loss.

Francis Marion Univ. 9, Mercy College (NY) 1 (Feb 18, 2018 at Florence, SC)
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Mercy College (NY).. 100 00 -  1  3  2      (3-3)
Francis Marion Univ. 501 21 -  9 10  0      (7-3)
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Pitchers: Mercy College (NY) - Carmichael, Alexis; Jameson, Yazzy(1) and Bullock, Destini;
McCormick, Baylee. Francis Marion Univ. - Reece Davis and Chelsea Welty.
Win-Reece Davis (4-1)  Loss-Carmichael, Alexis (0-1)  T-1:26  A-55
HR FMU_SB - Sam Chiudina (3); Chelsea Welty (4).
Weather: Mostly sunny,62,Winds NE@10mph
Carmichael faced 4 batters in the 1st.