FLORENCE, SC – Francis Marion University scored six times in the opening frame and went on to claim a 10-3 game-one win over Queens University of Charlotte, while the Royals took the second contest 11-0 as the squads split their non-conference softball doubleheader on Wednesday evening (Feb. 9).
 
Francis Marion (3-3) will play its first road doubleheader of the season on Saturday at 1 p.m. against Augusta University.  FMU will return home to entertain Limestone University on Sunday at 1 p.m.
 
Junior right-hander Rachel Davis (1-0) picked up the opening-game victory out of the bullpen for FMU. She tossed four innings, giving up one run on one hit, while striking out three.  Junior righty Casey Kurent started and pitched the opening three frames.
 
Senior third baseman Janecia Hemingway led the way offensively for the Patriots, going 1-for-3 with a double, a walk and two runs batted in. Senior left fielder Danielle Karacson went 1-for-4 with a double and two RBIs, while junior second baseman Megan Matsil rapped out a pair of RBI-singles.
 
Trailing 1-0, the Patriots batted around in the bottom of the first inning, scoring six times. Hemingway plated the first two tallies with a double, while Matsil singled home a run (with an additional run coming across on a throwing error), freshman catcher Gabby King doubled in a run, and the final run scored on an RBI-groundout by graduate student center fielder NaJah Gerrald.
 
After a second solo homer by Queens' designated player Haley Nelson trimmed the lead to 6-2 in the third, FMU scored twice in the bottom of the frame on Matsil's second run-scoring single and a Royals' throwing error.
 
The Royals (2-4) narrowed the margin to 8-3 before Karacson accounted for the final score with a two-run double to left center field in the sixth inning.
 
Queens's freshman right-hander Jordan Dunn (0-3) was tagged with the loss.
 
In the second contest, Royal righty Kate Hunter (1-0) silenced the Patriot bats to one hit – a seeing-eye single through the left side by Gerrald in the third inning.  The Patriots managed to load the bases in that frame, but Hunter induced an inning-ending double play grounder.
 
Queens scored five times in both the third and fifth innings.
 
Hemingway (1-3) started the second game for FMU and suffered the loss.
 
Saturday's twinbill at Augusta will be games No. 1,999 and 2,000 for the Patriots over the 44-year history of the program.
 
GAME 1 NOTES
» Francis Marion's highest scoring inning was the first, when it pushed six runs across.
» Francis Marion took a 6-1 lead in the bottom half of the first and didn't surrender that lead for the remainder of the game.
» The Patriots out-hit the Royals at an 8-4 clip.
» Francis Marion went 6-for-12 (.500) with runners in scoring position.
» Francis Marion pitchers limited Queens (NC) to just 1-for-6 (.167) with runners in scoring position.
» Francis Marion pitchers faced 32 Queens (NC) hitters in the game, allowing five ground balls and nine fly balls while striking out six.
» The Patriots drew six walks from Queens (NC) pitching.
» Hemingway led the Patriots at the plate, going 1-for-3 with a double and two RBIs.
» Queens (NC) was led offensively by sophomore Haley Nelson, who went 2-for-4 with two home runs and two RBIs.
 
GAME 2 NOTES
» Francis Marion pitchers faced 29 Queens (NC) hitters in the game, allowing five ground balls and four fly balls while striking out five.
» Gerrald led the Patriots at the plate, going 1-for-2.
» Queens (NC) was led offensively by senior Jordan Hunt, who went 1-for-2 with a home run and three RBIs.
» Hunter led the Royals pitching staff, throwing five shutout innings.