FLORENCE, SC – Fifth-year senior outfielder
Danielle Karacson laced a two-out run-scoring double down the left field line to snap a tie game and lift Francis Marion University to a 5-4 win over Augusta University and a sweep of their non-conference softball doubleheader on Sunday evening (Feb. 5). The Patriots won the opening game 19-11 in five innings.
Francis Marion improves to 4-0 and will play its next three doubleheaders on the road, beginning Wednesday with a 1 p.m. twinbill at Catawba College.
Karacson's hit snapped a 4-4 deadlock. Freshman right-handed pitcher
Jenna Walling (2-0) set the Jaguars down in order in the seventh inning to finish off her first career complete game. She fanned five batters over seven innings of work.
Augusta (2-2) scored twice in the top of the first inning, but FMU answered with a run of its own on a sacrifice fly by senior designated hitter
Taylor Watford. The Patriots took a 3-2 lead in the second when junior right fielder
Katie Smith stroked an RBI-single and then later stole home.
The advantage stood until the Jaguars scored twice in the fifth to go up 4-3. An RBI-double by senior second baseman
Megan Matsil knotted the contest in the bottom of fifth setting the stage for Karacson's heroics. That double was the 46th of Karacson's career leaving her one shy of the Patriot all-time record.
Prior to the go-ahead hit in the top of the sixth, FMU junior third baseman
Makayla Cuthbertson turned in perhaps the defensive play of the day, when she stabbed a hard grounder and started an inning-ending double play that kept the score tied at 4-4.
Augusta freshman righty Ansley Gibson (1-1) was the losing pitcher.
In Sunday's opener, Cuthbertson led the way with three hits, three runs scored, and five runs batted in. Karacson had two hits, both doubles, two runs scored, and three driven in, while senior first baseman
Savana Rosson collected a two-run homer, an RBI-double, and a bases-loaded walk.
The Patriots batted around twice in their four innings at the plate and scored in all four frames.
FMU senior right-hander
Rachel Davis (2-0) won her second straight start, while Augusta starter Alissa Bolinger (1-1) was tagged with the loss.
Francis Marion Univ. 19, Augusta University 11 (Feb 05, 2023 at Florence, SC) (Game 1)
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Augusta University.. 201 08 - 11 10 1 (2-1)
Francis Marion Univ. 163 9X - 19 12 3 (3-0)
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Pitchers: Augusta University - Alissa Bolinger; Lauren Evens(3); Maggie McBrayer(5) and Paige Patterson.
Francis Marion Univ. -
Rachel Davis;
Jordan Rivera(5) and
Lauren Smallwood.
Win-
Rachel Davis (2-0) Loss-Alissa Bolinger (1-1) T-2:31 A-387
HR JAGUAR~1 - Bailee Roberts (3).
HR FMU_SB -
Savana Rosson (1).
Weather: 48 degree,overcast misty
M. McBrayer faced 3 batters in the 4th.
Francis Marion Univ. 5, Augusta University 4 (Feb 05, 2023 at Florence, SC) (Game 2)
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Augusta University.. 200 020 0 - 4 8 2 (2-2)
Francis Marion Univ. 120 011 X - 5 5 2 (4-0)
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Pitchers: Augusta University - Ansley Gibson and Paige Patterson. Francis Marion Univ. -
Jenna Walling and
Reagan Glanz.
Win-
Jenna Walling (2-0) Loss-Ansley Gibson (1-1) T-2:26
Weather: Overcast, foggy, 46 degrees
