HARTSVILLE, SC – Senior catcher
Lauren Smallwood homered twice and drove in seven runs to spark Francis Marion University to an 11-1 game-two win over local-rival Coker University on Friday (Feb. 9), and to a split of their non-conference softball doubleheader. Coker won Friday's opening game 8-2.
Francis Marion (5-2) will host the Raines Company Softball Classic on Feb. 17-18. FMU will play at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. each day, with two other squads playing at 1 p.m.
Although only credited with five hits in game two, FMU took advantage of seven walks, three Coker errors, and a hit batter.
The Patriots took the early lead with four runs in the second inning. Freshman second baseman
Karson Cuozzo plated the first run with a fielder's choice grounder. Junior shortstop
Makayla Cuthbertson made it 2-0 with a sacrifice fly. Sophomore third baseman
Madalyn White upped the margin to 3-0 with an RBI-single to center and the fourth run scored on a two-out Coker throwing error.
Smallwood then accounted for the final seven runs with a three-run homer in the fourth and a grand slam in the sixth.
Sophomore southpaw
Alyssa Poston (2-0) earned the win by surrendering only one run on three hits with six strikeouts. She allowed only a fifth-inning solo homer to Cobra right fielder Mya Cribbs.
In Friday's first contest, the Patriots were held to four hits by Coker starter Madie Andrews (2-1).
The Cobras scored a run in the bottom of the first off FMU sophomore right-hander
Jenna Walling (3-1). FMU responded with the tying run in the top of the second on junior second baseman
Peyton Gale's one-out RBI-single.
Coker took the lead for good with a tally in their half of the second and knocked Walling from the game with a five-run third inning.
The Patriots trimmed the deficit to 7-2 in the fifth frame when pinch runner Cuozzo scored on a Coker error. The Cobras answered that run with a single score in the bottom of the inning to account for the 8-2 final.
Freshman righty
Abby Williams pitched the final 3.1 frames for FMU, allowing no earned runs on five hits.
Coker 8, Francis Marion 2 (2/9/2024 at Saleeby-Stokes Field) – GAME 1
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Francis Marion...... 040 010 0 - 2 4 4 (4-2, 0-0)
Coker.................... 115 010 X - 8 15 1 (3-2, 0-0)
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Pitchers: Francis Marion -
Jenna Walling;
Abby Williams(3) and
Kendal Miller. Coker - M. Andrews and .
Win-M. Andrews (2-1) Loss-
Jenna Walling (3-1) T- A-0
HR COKER - G. Chambless.
Francis Marion 11, Coker 1 (2/9/2024 at Saleeby-Stokes Field) – GAME 2
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Francis Marion...... 010 304 - 11 5 0 (5-2)
Coker.................... 000 010 X - 1 3 3 (3-3)
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Pitchers: Francis Marion –
Alyssa Poston and
Lauren Smallwood. Coker – Cheyenne Palmer, Caroline Holmes (3), Tibbie Hessian (5), Abbie McCants (6) and Kelsie Gollie.
Win-
Alyssa Poston (2-0) Loss-Cheyenne Palmer (0-1) T-3:18 A-76
HR FMU –
Lauren Smallwood (2), COKER – Mya Cribbs.
