FLORENCE, SC – Freshman right-hander Janecia Hemingway earned the complete-game win to remain unbeaten while also driving in three runs with a single and a homer to power Francis Marion University to a 16-6 victory over Mercy College (NY), Friday evening (Feb. 15) on the opening day of the Patriot Invitational Softball Tournament.

Francis Marion (6-3) will play Chowan University on Saturday at 1 p.m. and Mercy again at 5 p.m.  Other games, not involving FMU, on Saturday will be at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Mercy (1-1) defeated Chowan 9-4 in the event's opening contest on Friday.

Hemingway (3-0) scattered 10 hits and fanned four while in the circle.  Her two-run homer capped an 11-run fourth inning for the Patriots.

FMU senior catcher Chelsea Welty was a perfect 3-for-3 with two doubles and three runs batted in.  In addition to Hemingway, three other Patriots rapped out two hits: senior shortstop Taylor Johnson, senior third baseman Angela Buccilli, and sophomore centerfielder Taylor DeLeon.  Welty and Buccilli both drove in three runs with Buccilli drilling her first home run as a Patriot.

Senior Kaylee Stevens led Mercy with three hits and two RBIs.  She also took the pitching loss, evening her season mark at 1-1, after relieving Maverick starter Katelyn Shephard.

Both teams score twice in the opening frame.  FMU scored three times in the second with DeLeon scoring on a wild pitch and Welty belting a two-run double to left centerfield.

After Mercy scored three times to even the score at 5-5 in the top of the fourth, the Patriots batted around in the bottom of the inning scoring 11 times.

Francis Marion 16, Mercy 6 (Feb 15, 2019 at Florence, SC)
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Mercy...............      200 3   1   -  6 10  3      (1-1)
Francis Marion...... 230 (11)X - 16 14  2      (6-3)
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Pitchers: Mercy - Shephard, Katelyn; Stevens, Kaylee (2); Carmichael, Alexis (4) and Byrne, Erika. Francis Marion - Janecia Hemingway and Chelsea Welty.
Win-Janecia Hemingway (3-0)  Loss-Stevens, Kaylee (1-1)  T-2:01  A-83
HR FMU_SB - Angela Buccilli (1); Janecia Hemingway (3).
Weather: Overcast, 64, Winds SW @ 13 mp
Stevens faced 4 batters in the 4th.