MOUNT OLIVE, NC – Sophomore designated player Emma Moberg homered twice and drove in three runs to help Francis Marion University to a 10-4 road win over the University of Mount Olive and to a split of Tuesday's (March 5) Conference Carolinas doubleheader.  The Trojans won the opening game 1-0 in a pitcher's duel.
 
Francis Marion, which received votes in this week's NFCA Top 25 poll, moves to 17-6 overall and 1-1 in league play.  FMU will play a doubleheader at UNC Pembroke on Saturday at 1 p.m., before returning home to host Georgia College & State University for two games on Sunday at 2 p.m.
 
Senior first baseman Taylor Watford and sophomore third baseman Madalyn White joined Moberg with two hits in the second contest, and Watford drove in three while White scored three times from the lead-off spot.
 
Sophomore right-handed pitcher Jenna Walling (8-2) registered the complete-game win. She surrendered four runs on eight hits, while striking out five.
 
The Patriots jumped on UMO starter Bri Verme (4-3) in the top of the first, scoring four times.  The first two batters reached base and Watford followed with an RBI-single through the right side.  Senior catcher Lauren Smallwood plated the second run with a sacrifice fly and Moberg followed with a two-run homer to left-center field.
 
The margin grew to 7-0 in the top of the second as junior left fielder Emily Konz and Watford drove in runs with infield grounders and Smallwood laced an RBI-single back up the middle.
 
Mount Olive (18-6, 1-1) scored four times in the bottom of the second to draw within three, but Walling would not allow another run.
 
With one out in the fifth, Moberg lifted a shot over the left-center field wall, and two-out run-scoring singles by Watford in the sixth and sophomore center fielder Mikaela Goss in the seventh accounted for the final runs.
     
In the opener, UMO first baseman Cana Shrock homered to right field to lead off the fifth inning for the game's only run.
 
Francis Marion had opportunities as the Patriots stranded 12 base runners, including the bases loaded in the second and two runners on in four other innings.
 
In the top of the seventh, FMU loaded the bases with no outs and forced a pitching change.  However, the Trojans turned a double play on a line drive and then retired the next batter on a fly out to end the game.
 
FMU sophomore southpaw Alyssa Poston (9-2) struck out the first four batters, and six of the first seven batters, she faced in game one.  She allowed only four hits, struck out a season-high 10 batters, and did not issue a walk, but was tagged with the hard-luck loss.
 
Hannah Killough (7-2) earned the win for Mount Olive, while Callie Thornton picked up the save.
 
Senior right fielder Katie Smith and White led FMU at the plate with two hits apiece in the opener.