FLORENCE, SC – Senior right fielder Katie Smith delivered a walk-off sacrifice fly in extra innings of a game one 1-0 victory and senior first baseman Taylor Watford homered and drove in three runs to a key a 7-3 second-game win as Francis Marion University swept a season-opening softball doubleheader from visiting USC Aiken on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 3).
 
Francis Marion (2-0) will play a road twinbill at Augusta University on Sunday at 1 p.m., before returning home to host Limestone University on Wednesday at 3 p.m.
 
The game-one win came as Smith drove home junior second baseman Peyton Gale in the bottom of the eighth inning.  Sophomore southpaw Alyssa Poston (1-0) tossed a five-hitter in her Patriot debut.  The Hartsville native fanned seven and walked only two.
 
Payton Baker (0-1) allowed only four hits despite being tagged with the loss.
 
Trailing 1-0 in the third inning of the second contest, Francis Marion erupted for three runs.  Sophomore third baseman Madalyn White plated the first run with a sacrifice fly and Watford, another Hartsville High School product, followed with a two-run homer. 
 
White expanded the margin to 4-1 with an RBI hit in the fifth frame. Winning pitcher Jenna Walling helped her own cause with an RBI-double in the last of the sixth.  Later in the frame, junior shortstop Makayla Cuthbertson walked with the bases loaded and Watford was hit by a pitch, also with the bases loaded, to push the advantage to 7-1.
 
Walling (1-0) surrender three runs on nine hits with four strikeouts in the complete-game victory.
 
Watford and sophomore designated hitter Emma Moberg led FMU with two hits apiece in the second contest.
 
White, who reached base safely in 53 of 55 contests during her freshman season, had a hit in each game of the doubleheader.
 
Lakyn Phillips (0-1) was the losing pitcher, while catcher Austyn Dixon collected two hits and drove in three runs for the Pacers.
 
 
Francis Marion Univ. 1, USC Aiken 0 (Feb 03, 2024 at Florence, SC) (Game 1)
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USC Aiken................ 000 000 00 -  0  5  0      (0-1)
Francis Marion Univ. 000 000 01 -  1  4  0      (1-0)
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Pitchers: USC Aiken - Payton Baker and Austyn Dixon. Francis Marion Univ. - Alyssa Poston and
Lauren Smallwood.
Win-Alyssa Poston(1-0)  Loss-Payton Baker(0-1)  T-2:20  A-115
Weather: Sunny,59,Winds SW@10 mph
 
Francis Marion Univ. 7, USC Aiken 3 (Feb 03, 2024 at Florence, SC) (Game 2)
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USC Aiken............... 100 000 2 -  3  9  0      (0-2)
Francis Marion Univ. 003 013 X -  7  9  0      (2-0)
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Pitchers: USC Aiken - Lakyn Phillips and Austyn Dixon. Francis Marion Univ. - Jenna Walling and
Lauren Smallwood.
Win-Jenna Walling(1-0)  Loss-Lakyn Phillips(0-1)  T-2:00  A-0
HR FMU_SB - Taylor Watford.