Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 FLORENCE, SC – Junior third baseman Makayla Cuthbertson and senior left fielder Danielle Karacson drove in six and five runs respectively to lead Francis Marion University to a sweep of Georgian Court University, 11-3 in six innings and 5-2, Thursday evening (Mar. 2) in non-conference softball action.
 
Francis Marion has won eight straight to improve to 16-2.  The Patriots will host Chestnut Hill College for a doubleheader on Saturday at 1 p.m.
 
In the first contest, FMU trailed 3-1 entering the bottom of the sixth inning, but erupted for 10 runs, including a grand slam by Cuthbertson and a walk-off RBI-single by Karacson, to captured the mercy-rule victory.
 
Cuthbertson went 3-for-3 with a walk, two runs scored and five RBIs, while Karacson was 2-for-4 with a run scored and two driven in.
 
Patriot freshman right-hander Jenna Walling (9-0) remained unbeaten with a complete-game effort.  She allowed only two earned runs on four hits with three strikeouts.
 
Georgian Court (8-6) built a 3-0 advantage after two innings.  Francis Marion trimmed the margin in half in the third as sophomore center fielder Avery Bellai doubled with two outs and scored on a run-scoring single to left by Cuthbertson.
 
That set the stage for the sixth-inning explosion that saw 12 Patriots come to the plate.  Karacson tied the game (3-3) with an RBI single prior to her ending the game with an RBI single.  In between, graduate student catcher Reagan Glanz hit a two-run single, junior right fielder Katie Smith singled home a run, and Cuthbertson drilled her grand slam over the right centerfield wall.
 
GCU starter Janella Blaszka (2-2) was saddled with the loss.
 
The Patriots also rallied in the second contest.  A two-run homer by Lions third baseman Savannah Simons staked Georgian Court to a first-inning lead.
 
A sacrifice fly by Karacson plated Cuthbertson in the bottom of the first to pull FMU within 2-1.
 
A two-run homer to straightaway center field by Karacson in the fifth put Francis Marion up 3-2. A run-scoring double by Bellai and a sacrifice fly by Cuthbetson accounted for two insurance runs in the sixth.
 
Senior righty Rachel Davis (6-2) overcame the early homer to register her sixth win in eight decisions.  She allowed only three singles after the first frame and struck out five, while walking only one.
 
Georgian Court freshman righty Maddie Rabe (2-1) came in to the contest not having allowed a run in 13 innings, but took the loss.  She gave up all five runs (four earned) on eight hits.
 
Eight different Patriots registered a hit in game two.  Freshman shortstop Madalyn White extended her hitting streak to 14 games and her streak of safely reaching back to a season-long 18 contests.  Karacson owns a 10-game hitting streak.
 
GCU center fielder Taylor Lipkins had two hits in each contest.

 
 
Francis Marion Univ. 11, Georgian Court Univ. 3 (Mar 02, 2023 at Florence, SC)
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Georgian Court Univ. 120 000     -  3  4  2      (8-5)
Francis Marion Univ. 001 00(10)  - 11  9  4      (15-2)
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Pitchers: Georgian Court Univ. - Blaszka, Janella; Korsak, Haley(6) and Mungo, Adriana.
Francis Marion Univ. - Jenna Walling and Lauren Smallwood; Reagan Glanz.
Win-Jenna Walling(9-0)  Loss-Blaszka, Janella(2-2)  T-2:00  A-70
HR FMU_SB - Makayla Cuthbertson (1).
Weather: Overcast, 72, winds SE @8mph
Korsak, Hale faced 4 batters in the 6th.


Francis Marion Univ. 5, Georgian Court Univ. 2 (Mar 02, 2023 at Florence, SC)
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Georgian Court Univ. 200 000 0 -  2  6  1      (8-6)
Francis Marion Univ. 100 022 X -  5  8  0      (16-2)
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Pitchers: Georgian Court Univ. - Rabe, Maddie and Lorenz, Katie. Francis Marion Univ. -
Rachel Davis and Reagan Glanz.
Win-Rachel Davis(6-2)  Loss-Rabe, Maddie(2-1)  T-1:48  A-0
HR GCUSB23 - Simons, Savannah.
HR FMU_SB - Danielle Karacson (5).
Weather: drizzle, 68, winds E @5mph