DUNCAN, SC – It took a few innings, but the potent Francis Marion University offense slowly came to life, including a six-run fifth inning, to rally for a 12-7 victory over sixth-seeded North Greenville University, late Friday night (Apr. 28) on the opening day of the 2023 Conference Carolinas Softball Tournament.
 
Third-seeded Francis Marion improves to 38-11 and advances in the winners' bracket to face second-seeded Lees-McRae College on Saturday at noon.  The double-elimination event is being hosted at the Tyger River Park complex in Duncan, S.C.
 
FMU junior right field Katie Smith and sophomore centerfielder Avery Bellai, the eighth and ninth batters in the FMU line-up, both went 3-for-4 with four runs driven in.
 
Senior second baseman Megan Matsil, senior left fielder Danielle Karacson, and senior first baseman Danielle Karacson all had two hits apiece, with Matsil and Karacson driving in one run each.  Matsil, named the conference Player of the Year earlier in the day, extended her hitting streak to 19 games and her streak of safely reaching base to 30 contests.
 
FMU entered the game ranked second nationally in NCAA Division II in team batting average, hits, and runs scored, and third in runs per game.
 
North Greenville (26-23) shocked the Patriots with five runs over the first three frames: two in the first and second innings and one in the third. The defeat snapped NGU's five-game winning streak.
 
Sophomore third baseman Madalyn White got FMU on the board in the bottom of the third with a two-out RBI-single through the right side.
 
The Patriots then evened the score with four two-out runs in the fourth.  Matsil began the inning with a single to right center and senior designated player Savana Rosson drew a one-out walk.  Following a fly out, Smith drilled a single back up the middle to score Matsil.  The following batter was Bellai and she laced a 1-2 pitch into left field for a two-run double drawing the Patriots to within 5-4.  Junior shortstop Makayla Cuthbertson then hit a dribbler up the third base line that went for an infield single, and Bellai scored to tie the game when the ball was thrown wildly to first base.
 
In the next half inning, the Crusaders registered back-to-back-to-back one-out singles to load the bases.  Center fielder Lexis Wilkinson followed with a two-run single to left to regain the advantage for NGU at 7-5.  Wilkinson finished the game with three hits, two runs scored, and two RBIs.
 
In the decisive sixth, the Patriots batted around and scored six runs on seven hits.  Karacson brought FMU within 7-6 with an RBI-single through the left side, and in doing so became the first Patriot to ever drive in 60 runs in a season.  Two batters later, Smith rapped a two-run single to center to put the Patriots up 8-6.
 
Bellai followed with a two-run triple down the right field line, and she scored on a wild pitch to make the advantage 11-7.  She finished a homer shy of becoming only the second Patriot to hit for the cycle.
 
FMU added an insurance run in the sixth, when Karacson scored on an infield single by Smith.
 
FMU senior right-hander Rachel Davis (15-8) entered the game in the fourth inning in relief of freshman starter Jenna Walling and earned the win.  She stranded runners on second and third with consecutive strikeouts to end the sixth inning and retired the Crusaders in order on just four pitches in the seventh.  She allowed two runs on five hits with three strikeouts in her four frames.
 
Ali Hartin (3-1), the second of three NGU hurlers, took the loss.
 
 
Francis Marion 12, North Greenville 7 (Apr 28, 2023 at Duncan, S.C.)
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North Greenville.. .. 221 020 0 -  7 12  3      (26-23)
Francis Marion...... 001 461 X - 12 15  2      (38-11)
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Pitchers: North Greenville - Karley Green; Ali Hartin(6); Maddie Gore(7) and Maddie Stone.
Francis Marion - Jenna Walling; Rachel Davis(4) and Reagan Glanz.
Win-Rachel Davis (15-8)  Loss-Ali Hartin (3-1)  T-2:25  A-137
Weather: 73, calm, sun setting
M. Gore faced 3 batters in the 5th.