MURFREESBORO, NC – Junior third baseman
Peyton Gale drove in the go-ahead run with a seventh-inning ground out allowing Francis Marion University to register a 4-3 win over Chowan University and a sweep of Saturday's (March 16) Conference Carolina softball doubleheader. The Patriots won the opener 9-0 behind the two-hit pitching of sophomore left-hander
Alyssa Poston.
Francis Marion, which received votes in this week's NFCA Top 25 poll, improves to 24-7 overall and 4-2 in conference play. The Patriots will play a non-conference twinbill at Lander University on Tuesday at 2 p.m.
In Saturday's opening game, FMU scored four times in third and seventh innings to back Poston (14-2). The Hartsville native struck out 11, but did have her streak of innings without issuing a walk snapped at 38.2 innings (during which she fanned 54).
Senior right fielder
Katie Smith went 3-for-4 with a double and a homer, while sophomore shortstop
Madalyn White and junior left fielder
Emily Konz both had two hits.
The third-inning outburst included a solo homer by Smith – her fifth of the year – an RBI-single by Konz, and a two-run sacrifice fly by senior first baseman
Taylor Watford.
Sophomore designated hitter
Emma Moberg homered in the fourth to up the advantage to 5-0. In the seventh frame, Watford and senior catcher
Lauren Smallwood both recorded two-run singles.
In the second contest, FMU scored twice in the first on a Chowan fielding error. The Hawks (4-15, 0-4) scored once in the third inning and twice in the fifth to forge a 3-2 lead.
Smith knotted the score at 3-3 with an RBI-single in the sixth inning. In the seventh, White led off with a walk and went to second on a single by Konz. The two then executed a double steal, before Gale plated White with a ground ball to second base.
Poston earned the pitching win with 2.1 scoreless innings of relief work. Sophomore righty
Jenna Walling started for FMU and pitched 4.2 innings.
Francis Marion 9, Chowan 0 (Mar 16, 2024 at Murfreesboro, N.C.) (Game 1)
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Francis Marion...... 004 100 4 - 9 11 2 (23-7, 3-2 CC)
Chowan................. 000 000 0 - 0 2 1 (4-14, 0-3 CC)
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Pitchers: Francis Marion -
Alyssa Poston and . Chowan - A. Bishop; K. Elliott(6) and .
Win-
Alyssa Poston (13-2) Loss-Alex Bishop (2-6) T-2:00 A-93
HR FMU_SB -
Emma Moberg;
Katie Smith.
Francis Marion 4, Chowan 3 (Mar 16, 2024 at Murfreesboro, N.C.) (Game 2)
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Francis Marion...... 200 001 1 - 4 8 2 (24-7, 4-2 CC)
Chowan................. 001 020 0 - 3 6 2 (4-15, 0-4 CC)
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Pitchers: Francis Marion -
Jenna Walling;
Alyssa Poston(5) and . Chowan - H. Boone;
K. Elliott(6); C. James(7) and .
Win-
Alyssa Poston (14-2) Loss-Kendyl Elliott (0-2) T-2:40