FLORENCE, SC – Junior outfielder Hannah Schmidt drove in three runs with a single and a double to back the 3-hit pitching of sophomore right-hander Taylor Florea as Francis Marion University blanked Lander University 9-0 en route to a split of Sunday afternoon's (May 2) Peach Belt Conference softball doubleheader.  Lander rallied to win game two 4-2.
 
The action was the final for FMU as a member of the Peach Belt Conference.  Charter members of the PBC since 1990, Francis Marion will move to Conference Carolinas beginning with the 2021-22 school year.
 
The Patriot softball team ends its season with an 11-21 overall mark and finishes 7-13 in PBC play.
 
In Sunday's opener, Florea (5-9) silenced the Bearcats.  In the five-inning contest, she fanned four and did not issue a walk to post her second shutout of 2021.
 
FMU took quick control by scoring six times in the first inning off Lander righty Liz Gollin (5-10).  The outburst included a two-run double to left field by junior third baseman Chase Booker, an RBI-double to left by Greenwood native and Patriot outfielder Katie Smith, run-scoring singles by junior designated player Sarah Hilton and Schmidt, and a Lander throwing error.
 
Schmidt laced a two-run double to left in the second inning to up the Patriot advantage to 8-0.  The final tally came when sophomore catcher Sarah Harkins singled home Smith in the third frame.  Smith has earlier doubled and was awarded third base on interference by the Bearcat third baseman.
 
In the second contest, Francis Marion again took an early lead when Hilton doubled down the left field line to plate Harkins in the bottom of the first.  The Bearcats took their first lead of the afternoon by scoring a pair of unearned runs in the third off FMU starter Rachel Davis.  Florea would relieve Davis with one out in the fourth.
 
FMU knotted the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the fourth when Hilton led off with a double, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore second baseman Megan Matsil, and came home on an RBI-single to left center by senior outfielder Jordan Carlson.
 
The Bearcats scored twice in the top of the sixth to go up 4-2. Catcher Alana Frye executed a safety squeeze to score the first run and pinch hitter Morgan Watson walked with the bases loaded and two outs to account for the second tally.  Florea was tagged with the game-two loss as she allowed two runs on only two hits with three strikeouts in 3.2 innings of relief work.
 
Lander sophomore right-hander Barbara Cook (7-7) went the distance to earn the game-two victory.  FMU put a runner on base in each of the last two innings, but could not push across another run.
 
Harkins and Hilton both finished the doubleheader with three hits.
 
Prior to the game, Francis Marion honored its three seniors – Carlson, utility player Taylor Lutian, and infielder Bailey Perdue – who were donning the red, white, and blue for the final time.  Carlson made the defensive play of the twinbill with a head-first diving catch along the right field foul line in the second game.
 
Francis Marion 9, Lander 0 (May 02, 2021 at Florence, SC) (Game 1)
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Lander University... 000 00 -  0  3  1      (15-22, 2-17 PBC)
Francis Marion Univ. 621 0X -  9 10  1      (11-20, 7-12 PBC)
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Pitchers: Lander University - Liz Gollin; Olivia Veidt(1) and Alana Frye.
Francis Marion Univ. - Taylor Florea and Sarah Harkins.
Win-Taylor Florea (5-8)  Loss-Liz Gollin (5-10)  T-1:29  A-95
Weather: Cloudy, 82, Wind S 10 mph
 
Lander 4, Francis Marion 2 (May 02, 2021 at Florence, SC) (Game 2)
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Lander University... 002 002 0 -  4  6  0      (16-22, 3-17 PBC)
Francis Marion Univ. 100 100 0 -  2  8  1      (11-21, 7-13 PBC)
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Pitchers: Lander University - Barbara Cook and Alana Frye. Francis Marion Univ. - Rachel Davis;
Taylor Florea(4) and Sarah Harkins.
Win-Barbara Cook (7-7)  Loss-Taylor Florea (5-9)  T-2:08
Weather: Cloudy, 83, Winds SSW 11 mph