FLORENCE, SC – Senior right-hander
Rachel Davis completed the first no-hitter of her career in game two – fanning five and walking only one – as Francis Marion University completed a sweep of Chestnut Hill College, winning 5-0 and 9-0 in five innings on Saturday afternoon (Mar. 4) in non-conference softball action.
Francis Marion has won 10 straight to improve to 18-2. The Patriots will be back in action on the road for a doubleheader against 21st-ranked Lenoir-Rhyne University on Wednesday (Mar.8) at 3 p.m.
Patriot freshman right-hander and reigning Conference Carolinas Pitcher of the Week
Jenna Walling (10-0) remained unbeaten with a complete-game shutout in the opener. She allowed only four hits with a career-high 10 strikeouts. Walling currently owns the fourth-best record among Division II pitchers.
Senior first baseman
Taylor Watford was a golden 3-of-3 at the dish with the lone double for the Patriots. Senior designated player
Savana Rosson was 1-of-2 including a ferocious two-run homer over the left-center field wall.
Senior left fielder
Danielle Karacson and senior second baseman
Megan Matsil each recorded an RBI, while freshmen shortstop
Madalyn White grabbed a hit and scored two runs. Freshmen infielder
Paige Strickland came in to pinch-hit and connected for her first hit as a Patriot.
Francis Marion scored one in the bottom of the first inning after White reached third base on two fielding errors by Chestnut Hill (0-6), and eventually scored after Matsil herself reached on another Griffin error.
The Patriots would erupt in the third inning, starting with White reaching home after another error by the Griffin infield. With runners on first and second, Matsil plated Karacson to push the lead to 3-0. The next at-bat, Rosson launched her fourth home run of the season to score Watford in the process and stretch the Patriot advantage to 5-0.
CHC starter Jordan Tavarez (0-2) was tagged with the loss.
The Patriot's bats remained hot in the second contest as well after a three-run homer by junior catcher
Lauren Smallwood helped completed the sweep over the Griffins.
A double to right center by Smallwood plated Matsil in the second inning to start FMU up 1-0.
After speedy junior third baseman
Makayla Cuthbertson and White found their ways to second and third, Karacson pounded a three-run homer over left-center field wall in the third putting Francis Marion up 4-0. A run-scoring double by Karacson and RBI-single by Rosson reported for two insurance runs in the fifth, before Smallwood's walk-off smash hit.
Davis ran her season record to 7-2, while Griffin hurler Abbie Alt-Ambriz took the loss in game two.
White extended her hitting streak to 16 games and her streak of safely reaching back to a season-long 20 contests, while Karacson extends her hitting streak to 12 games.
Francis Marion Univ. 5, Chesnut Hill College 0 (Mar 04, 2023 at Florence, SC) (Game 1)
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Chesnut Hill College 000 000 0 - 0 4 4 (0-5)
Francis Marion Univ. 104 000 X - 5 8 0 (17-2)
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Pitchers: Chesnut Hill College - Jordan Tavarez; Gabriella Quinones(3) and .
Francis Marion Univ. -
Jenna Walling and .
Win-
Jenna Walling (10-0) Loss-Jordan Tavarez (0-2) T-1:53 A-110
HR FMU_SB -
Savana Rosson (4).
Weather: clear, 72, winds SE @9mph
Francis Marion Univ. 9, Chesnut Hill College 0 (Mar 04, 2023 at Florence, SC) (Game 2)
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Chesnut Hill College 000 00 - 0 0 1 (0-6)
Francis Marion Univ. 013 05 - 9 9 0 (18-2)
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Pitchers: Chesnut Hill College - Abbie Alt-Ambriz and Jasmine Ramirez. Francis Marion Univ. -
Rachel Davis and
Lauren Smallwood.
Win-
Rachel Davis (7-2) Loss-Abbie Alt-Ambriz (0-2) T-1:18
HR FMU_SB -
Danielle Karacson (6);
Lauren Smallwood (3).
Weather: clear, 73, winds SE @9mph
