FLORENCE, SC – Francis Marion University sophomore left-hander
Alyssa Poston tossed her second no-hitter of the season on Saturday (March 2) in an 8-0 win over Catawba College as the Patriots swept the non-conference twinbill. FMU won the second contest 9-8 behind three hits and three RBIs by sophomore third baseman
Madalyn White.
Francis Marion improves to 16-5 and will open Conference Carolinas play on Wednesday with a 2 p.m. doubleheader at the University of Mount Olive. The next home game for the Patriots will be Sunday, March 10, at 2 p.m. against Georgia College.
In Saturday's opener, Poston (9-1) allowed only one base runner, a hit batter with one out in the first frame. The Hartsville native struck out seven batters in the five-inning contest and needed only 47 pitches.
Senior first baseman
Taylor Watford and sophomore centerfielder
Mikaela Goss both registered two hits, while junior middle infielders
Peyton Gale and
Makayla Cuthbertson each drove in three runs.
Cuthbertson opened the scoring with a two-run double in the second inning that one-hopped the left field wall. Gale hit an opposite field three-run homer in the third to up the margin to 5-0.
A pair of bases-loaded walks to sophomore designated hitter
Emma Moberg and Goss and a sacrifice fly by Cuthbertson accounted for the final three tallies in the fifth.
Catawba righty Riley Tucker (3-3) was tagged with the loss.
In the second game, Francis Marion overcame a pair of three-run deficits to go up 7-4 in the third inning. Catawba scored three times in the fourth to knot the score at 7-7.
A two-run homer to right-center field by White pushed FMU back ahead 9-7, and the Patriots held off a late Catawba rally.
FMU sophomore right-hander
Jenna Walling (7-2) earned the win by not allowing an earned run in three frames. Poston came on to throw one pitch in the seventh that induced a pop out with the bases loaded to earn her first save.
Freshman righty
Abby Williams started the second contest for FMU and pitched 3.2 innings. Goss contributed a pair of leaping catches at the center field wall that robbed Catawba batters of extra bases, including one in the seventh inning.
White had three hits in game two, while Gale and senior catcher
Lauren Smallwood had two hits apiece.
Catawba reliever Brianna Herring (0-1) was the losing pitcher. First baseman Kary Hale led the Indians with two hits, two runs scored, and two runs batted in.
Francis Marion Univ. 8, Catawba College 0 (Mar 02, 2024 at Florence, SC) (Game 1)
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Catawba College..... 000 00 - 0 0 0 (9-10)
Francis Marion Univ. 023 03 - 8 8 0 (15-5)
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Pitchers: Catawba College - Riley Tucker; Alexandra Baquie(5) and Madison Taylor;
Christina Brendle. Francis Marion Univ. -
Alyssa Poston and
Lauren Smallwood.
Win-
Alyssa Poston (9-1) Loss-Riley Tucker (3-3) T-1:13 A-88
HR FMU_SB -
Peyton Gale (3).
Weather: Overcast,62,Wind SE @ 7 mph
R. Tucker faced 2 batters in the 5th.
Francis Marion Univ. 9, Catawba College 8 (Mar 02, 2024 at Florence, SC) (Game 2)
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Catawba College..... 310 301 0 - 8 8 1 (9-11)
Francis Marion Univ. 124 020 X - 9 9 4 (16-5)
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Pitchers: Catawba College - Alexandra Baquie; Brianna Herring(1) and Christina Brendle.
Francis Marion Univ. -
Abby Williams;
Jenna Walling(4);
Alyssa Poston(7) and
Lauren Smallwood.
Win-
Jenna Walling(7-2) Save-
Alyssa Poston(1) Loss-Brianna Herring(0-1) T-2:19 A-0
HR FMU_SB -
Madalyn White (1).
Weather: Overcast,64,Wind S @ 6 mph
A. Baquie faced 3 batters in the 1st.
