FLORENCE, SC – Behind freshman right-handed pitcher
Jenna Walling, Francis Marion University recorded three consecutive outs with the potential tying run on third base to escape with a 2-1 victory over visiting University of Mount Olive, Tuesday evening (Mar. 21) in Conference Carolinas softball play. Mount Olive won the opening game of the doubleheader 8-1.
The game-one defeat snapped Francis Marion's six-game winning streak, but the Patriots rebounded to move to 25-5 overall and 5-1 in conference play. FMU will take to the road to play conference twinbills at King University (Tenn.) on Friday at 2 p.m. and at Lees-McRae College on Saturday at noon.
All the scoring in the nightcap occurred in the first inning. A sacrifice fly gave the Trojans a short-lived 1-0 lead in the top of the frame.
In the bottom half, junior shortstop
Makayla Cuthbertson led off with a walk and came all the way around to score on a throwing error. Later, with two outs and the bases loaded, senior second baseman
Megan Matsil was hit by a pitch to force in what would prove to be the winning run. That at bat moved Matsil into sole possession of second place on the FMU career list for being hit with 28.
Walling (13-1) made the margin stand up as she scattered four hits, walked only one, and struck out two.
In the seventh, UMO third baseman Kylie Emanuele led off with a line drive into shallow centerfield. Patriot sophomore
Avery Bellai made a diving attempt at the ball, but could not make the catch and the ball rolled to the wall. Emanuele ended up on third base.
Walling retired the next batter on a come-backer to the mound, registered a strikeout for the second out, and then induced a ground ball out to first base to end the threat and the game.
Bellai was the only Patriot with multiple hits in game two. Freshman third baseman
Madalyn White laced a double down the left field line in the fifth to extend her season-long, and career-long streak of safely reaching base to 30 contests.
Mount Olive senior righty Lauren King (2-4) absorbed the tough-luck loss, as both the runs she surrendered were unearned.
In the opening contest, Mount Olive (14-12, 3-3) scored single runs in the first three innings. A grand slam home run by catcher Ashlyn Porter in the fifth upped the advantage to 7-0.
Senior first baseman
Taylor Watford accounted for the lone Patriot tally with a solo home run, her sixth of the year, in the bottom of the fifth.
Senior right-hander
Rachel Davis (11-4) was the losing pitcher, while Hannah Killough (8-4) picked up the win.
FMU entered the game with the fifth-best team batting average (.374) in NCAA Division II, but the Patriots were held to four hits in each game.
Univ. of Mount Olive 8, Francis Marion Univ. 1 (Mar 21, 2023 at Florence, SC) (Game 1)
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Univ. of Mount Olive 111 041 0 - 8 10 1 (14-11, 3-2 CC)
Francis Marion Univ. 000 010 0 - 1 4 0 (24-5, 4-1 CC)
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Pitchers: Univ. of Mount Olive - Hannah Killough; Brie Verme(7) and Ashlyn Porter.
Francis Marion Univ. -
Rachel Davis;
Jordan Rivera(5) and
Lauren Smallwood;
Reagan Glanz.
Win-Hannah Killough(8-4) Loss-
Rachel Davis(11-4) T-2:14 A-68
HR UMO_SB - Ashlyn Porter (5); Kylie Emanuele (7).
HR FMU_SB -
Taylor Watford (6).
Weather: Sunny,65,Winds SW @ 8 mph
Killough faced 1 batter in the 7th.
Francis Marion Univ. 2, Univ. of Mount Olive 1 (Mar 21, 2023 at Florence, SC) (Game 2)
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Univ. of Mount Olive 100 000 0 - 1 4 2 (14-12, 3-3 CC)
Francis Marion Univ. 200 000 X - 2 4 2 (25-5, 5-1 CC)
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Pitchers: Univ. of Mount Olive - Lauren King and Cana Shrock. Francis Marion Univ. -
Jenna Walling and
Lauren Smallwood.
Win-
Jenna Walling(13-1) Loss-Lauren King(2-4) T-1:43 A-0
Weather: Mostly overcast,64,Winds W@7
