FLORENCE, SC – Four Francis Marion University players honored prior to first pitch on Senior Day combined for eight hits, 12 runs batted in, and a pitching win to lead the Patriots to a weather-delayed sweep of Erskine College, Saturday afternoon (Apr. 22) in Conference Carolinas softball action. Both games ended in the fifth inning due to the eight-run mercy rule as FMU triumphed 10-2 and 15-6.
Francis Marion concludes its regular season at 37-11 overall and 17-7 in conference play. The overall win total is the highest for the Patriots in 15 seasons dating back to the 2008 squad that won 39 games and advanced to the NCAA Division II World Series.
The Patriots finish tied for second place in the final conference standings, and will be the third seed at this coming week's conference tournament. The four-day event will be held Apr. 27-30 at Tyger River Park in Duncan, S.C.
In its Senior Day ceremony, Francis Marion honored designated player
Savana Rosson, second baseman
Megan Matsil, right-handed pitcher
Rachel Davis, and left fielder
Danielle Karacson. Entering the twinbill, the four had helped account for 103 wins over the past four seasons.
The initial start of the doubleheader was delayed 2:14 by weather and the second contest was interrupted by a 2:24 delay.
In the opening game, Erskine scored twice in the first inning, but FMU responded with 10 unanswered runs to win in five innings.
First baseman
Taylor Watford was 3-for-3 at the plate with two doubles, a run scored, and three driven in. Junior shortstop
Makayla Cuthbertson had two hits and scored twice.
Davis (14-8) earned the completed-game win as she allowed only two runs on four hits. She fanned four and did not issue a walk, while recording her 38th career victory in her final FMU Softball Stadium appearance.
After the Flying Fleet (19-18, 9-11) scored twice in the top of the first, the Patriots answered immediately as Cuthbertson reached on a bunt single, stole second, and came home on an RBI-double by Watford -- a ball that just missed clearing the center field wall.
Francis Marion scored four times in the second to take the lead. Freshman third baseman
Madalyn White lined a three-run double to the left centerfield gap, and then she would score on a Watford single back up the middle.
FMU again scored four times in the fourth. White stole home for the first run and Matsil lined a two-run homer over the left field wall. Rosson plated the fourth run with an RBI-groundout.
Watford walked with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the fifth to force in the 10th run that ended the contest.
Payton Cox (3-10) started both games for Erskine and was tagged with two losses.
Erskine also scored two runs in the top of the first in the second game. In the bottom of the first, the first seven Patriots reached base and scored.
Cuthbertson led FMU with three hits and two runs scored, while Karacson drilled a pair of home runs and drove in six runs. Matsil chipped in two hits, scored twice, and had two RBIs, while Rosson drilled a two-run double as part of the first-inning outburst.
Karacson moved into second place on the program's career RBI list with 149 – only eight shy of the school record. She already owns the FMU career marks for doubles (61) and walks (87) and is second in games played (212).
Freshman righty
Jenna Walling (20-3) became the program's first 20-game winner in 13 seasons. She surrendered three earned runs on seven hits with two strikeouts.
Junior catcher
Lauren Smallwood drilled a long two-run homer to left field to cap the seven-run first frame. Karacson hit a two-run shot to left centerfield in the second and a three-run long ball in the third.
Cuthbertson finished the twinbill with four steals, including a steal of home in the second game, pushing her season total to 26.
Francis Marion Univ. 10, Erskine College 2 (Apr 22, 2023 at Florence, SC) (Game 1)
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Erskine College........ 200 00 - 2 4 1 (19-17, 9-10 CC)
Francis Marion Univ. 140 41 - 10 8 0 (36-11, 16-7 CC)
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Pitchers: Erskine College - Payton Cox and Peyton Rabon. Francis Marion Univ. -
Rachel Davis and
Reagan Glanz.
Win-
Rachel Davis (14-8) Loss-Payton Cox (3-9) T-1:33 A-167
HR FMU_SB -
Megan Matsil (5).
Weather: overcast, 67, winds N @ 11 mph
Francis Marion Univ. 15, Erskine College 6 (Apr 22, 2023 at Florence, SC) (Game 2)
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Erskine College..... 210 30 - 6 7 4 (19-18, 9-11 CC)
Francis Marion Univ. 725 1X - 15 11 3 (37-11, 17-7 CC)
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Pitchers: Erskine College - Cox, Payton; Taylor, McKinna(1); Ingle, Kaley(3); Nelsen, Summer(3) and Rabon, Peyton; Hunter, Katie. Francis Marion Univ. -
Jenna Walling;
Rachel Davis(5) and
Lauren Smallwood.
Win-
Jenna Walling (20-3) Loss-Cox, Payton (3-10) T-4:18
HR FMU_SB -
Danielle Karacson 2 (12);
Lauren Smallwood (5).
Weather: overcast, 77, winds N @ 11 mph
Cox, Payton faced 6 batters in the 1st.
