FLORENCE, SC – Senior first baseman
Taylor Watford drove in the go-ahead run with an infield singe in the sixth inning as Francis Marion University rallied for an 8-6 victory over Young Harris College and a sweep of Sunday afternoon's (March 24) Conference Carolinas softball doubleheader. FMU won the opener 8-2 behind the four-hit pitching of sophomore left-hander
Alyssa Poston.
Francis Marion improves to 27-8 overall and 6-2 in conference play. FMU will host a Conference Carolinas doubleheader on Monday at 3 p.m. against Emmanuel University (Ga.). Admission to the Griffin Athletic Complex is $10 for adults and $5 for students with FMU students being admitted free with ID.
In game one, Poston upped her season mark to 15-3 with a complete-game effort. She surrendered only one earned run and struck out 12.
Junior left fielder
Emily Konz led the Patriots at the plate with three hits, while Watford and senior right fielder
Katie Smith had two hits apiece.
The Patriots batted through their line-up in the first inning of the opener. Sophomore designated player
Emma Moberg lined a two-out, two-run single down the right field line and, two batters later, senior catcher
Lauren Smallwood lifted a high fly ball to left that the wind knocked down and fell in for two-run double.
The Patriots tallied single runs in the second, third, fourth, and sixth innings to offset Mountain Lion runs in the third and sixth frames.
Watford had an RBI-single in the second and sophomore centerfielder
Mikaela Goss singled home a run in the third. Konz scored on a throwing error in the fourth and junior second baseman
Peyton Gale walked with the bases loaded in the sixth to account for the FMU scoring.
In the second contest, Watford added two more hits and drove in three runs, while Smith had her second two-hit game of the day and drove in one run.
Sophomore right-hander
Jenna Walling (11-2) earned the win with 2.2 innings of relief work. Poston came on to strike out the side in the top of the seventh and register her second save of 2024.
Gale gave FMU a 1-0 advantage with a run-scoring grounder in the first inning. After Young Harris (14-14, 2-4) tied it in the top of the second, Francis Marion regained the lead on a solo homer to left by Goss in the bottom half of the frame.
The Mountain Lions scored four times in the fourth inning knocking FMU starter
Abby Williams from the game. However, Watford doubled home two runs with two outs in the bottom of the fourth to bring the Patriots within 5-4.
Young Harris upped its margin to 6-4 with a single run in the top of the sixth, but the Patriots rallied for four runs in the bottom of the inning.
Goss led off with a walk and was promptly doubled home by junior shportstop
Makayla Cuthbertson. After a pitching change, sophomore third baseman
Madalyn White reached on a fielding error and advanced to second putting two runners in scoring position. Konz grounded out to third, but Cuthertson scored the tying run despite being looked back by the third baseman.
Watford broke the 6-6 deadlock with an infield single to second base that plated White. Watford was pinch run for by sophomore
Paige Strickland and she then stole second base. With two outs, Smith dumped an RBI-single down the right field line to add an insurance run.
FMU stole nine bases in 10 attempts during the twinbill.
Watford's four RBIs during the doubleheader push her career total to 103 in less then two full seasons.
Francis Marion Univ. 8, Young Harris College 2 (Mar 24, 2024 at Florence, SC) (Game 1)
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Young Harris College 001 001 0 - 2 4 1 (14-13, 2-3 CC)
Francis Marion Univ. 411 101 X - 8 12 1 (26-8, 5-2 CC)
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Pitchers: Young Harris College - Kylie Ferguson; Gracie Hughes(6) and Hannah Rizzuto.
Francis Marion Univ. -
Alyssa Poston and
Lauren Smallwood.
Win-
Alyssa Poston(15-3) Loss-Kylie Ferguson(0-5) T-2:02 A-106
HR YHC_SB - Grace Young (3).
Weather: Clear,Sunny,52,Winds SW@15 mph
Francis Marion Univ. 8, Young Harris College 6 (Mar 24, 2024 at Florence, SC) (Game 2)
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Young Harris College 010 401 0 - 6 12 3 (14-14, 2-4 CC)
Francis Marion Univ. 110 204 X - 8 8 0 (27-8, 6-2 CC)
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Pitchers: Young Harris College - Grace Young; Gracie Hughes(6) and Sammi Martin.
Francis Marion Univ. -
Abby Williams;
Jenna Walling(4);
Alyssa Poston(7) and
Lauren Smallwood;
Marlee McCormick;
Kendal Miller.
Win-
Jenna Walling(11-2) Save-
Alyssa Poston(2) Loss-Gracie Hughes(5-1) T-2:05 A-0
HR FMU_SB -
Mikaela Goss (2).
Weather: Clear,Sunny,57,Winds SW@16 mph
G Young faced 2 batters in the 6th.
