FLORENCE, SC – Francis Marion University pounded out 22 hits and scored 21 runs to sweep its Saturday afternoon (Mar. 17) Conference Carolinas softball doubleheader from North Greenville University. Junior shortstop
Makayla Cuthbertson went 2-for-3 with three runs batted in as the Patriots won the opener 8-2 and seniors
Taylor Watford and
Savana Rosson combined for five hits and 11 RBIs as FMU won the second contest 13-3 in five innings.
Francis Marion improves to 22-4 overall and 2-0 in conference play, and will remain at home to host Southern Wesleyan University on Saturday at 2 p.m.
Friday's twinbill was a match-up of two of the top-10 hitting squads in NCAA Division II softball. The Crusaders ranked eighth nationally with a .369 team batting average, while the Patriots ranked ninth in team average (.368) and sixth in scoring (8.12 runs per game).
Cuthbertson also scored twice in the opener.
Senior right-hander
Rachel Davis (10-3) scattered seven hits, struck out three, and walked only two en route to her 34th career win in the circle.
A sacrifice fly off the bat of Rosson and a two-out RBI-single to left by junior catcher
Lauren Smallwood staked FMU to a 2-0 lead in the first inning. An RBI-triple by Cuthbertson and a run-scoring grounder by senior left fielder
Danielle Karacson doubled the advantage in the second inning to 4-0.
The Patriots plated three runs in the third to up the margin to 7-0. Sophomore center fielder
Avery Bellai drove home pinch-runner
Laurin Nodine with an RBI ground out and Cuthbertson singled home two runs.
Both teams traded single runs in the fourth frame leaving FMU up 8-1. Senior second baseman
Megan Matsil accounted for the Patriot run with an infield single that drove in Karacson.
The Crusaders managed a run in the seventh on a run-scoring double to right centerfield by first baseman Brianna McRae, but Davis retired the next two batters to end the game.
NGU starter Maddie Gore (4-2) took the loss as she allowed the first five runs.
FMU freshman right-hander
Jenna Walling (11-1) picked up the win in game two. She surrendered eight hits and three runs, while fanning two and walking only one.
Watford homered twice and drove in six runs, while Rosson was a triple shy of becoming only the second Patriot to hit for the cycle and she drove in five runs. Cuthbertson was 3-for-4 with three runs scored and an RBI, while freshman shortstop
Madalyn White was 2-for-4 with four runs scored and an RBI.
White extended her streak of safely reaching base to all 26 games this season. However, Karacson had her 17-game hitting streak snapped in the second contest.
Rosson's two-run double gave Francis Marion a 2-0 lead in the first. After North Greenville (12-14, 0-2) scored once in the top of the second to halve the margin, the Patriots exploded for five runs in the bottom of the second highlighted by a two-run homer to left center by Watford.
Rosson clouted a two-run shot over the center field wall in the third to up the margin to 9-1, and Watford lined a walk-off grand slam to center field in the fifth to end the game by the eight-run mercy rule.
Francis Marion Univ. 8, North Greenville U. 2 (Mar 17, 2023 at Florence, SC) (Game 1)
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North Greenville U.. 000 100 1 - 2 7 0 (12-13, 0-1 CC)
Francis Marion Univ. 223 100 X - 8 9 1 (21-4, 1-0 CC)
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Pitchers: North Greenville U. - Maddie Gore; Sydney Clark(3); Ali Hartin(3) and Maddie Stone.
Francis Marion Univ. -
Rachel Davis and
Lauren Smallwood;
Reagan Glanz.
Win-
Rachel Davis(10-3) Loss-Maddie Gore(4-2) T-1:55 A-124
Weather: Overcast,73,Winds NE @ 22 mph
M. Gore faced 1 batter in the 3rd.
S. Clark faced 2 batters in the 3rd.
Francis Marion Univ. 13, North Greenville U. 3 (Mar 17, 2023 at Florence, SC) (Game 2)
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North Greenville U.. 012 00 - 3 8 2 (12-14, 0-2 CC)
Francis Marion Univ. 252 04 - 13 13 1 (22-4, 2-0 CC)
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Pitchers: North Greenville U. - Karley Green; Ali Hartin(2) and Maddie Stone.
Francis Marion Univ. -
Jenna Walling and
Lauren Smallwood.
Win-
Jenna Walling(11-1) Loss-Karley Green(5-7) T-1:46 A-0
HR FMU_SB -
Savana Rosson (6);
Taylor Watford 2 (5).
Weather: Overcast,72,Winds NE @ 13 mph
