BRISTOL, TN – Junior second baseman
Peyton Gale collected three hits and drove in three runs and sophomore left-hander
Alyssa Poston notched her nation-leading 21st victory as Francis Marion University beat King University (Tenn.) 13-7, Saturday afternoon (Apr. 13) in game one of a Conference Carolinas softball doubleheader. King won the second contest 7-0.
Francis Marion (36-9, 15-3) will remain on the road Sunday for a 1 p.m. doubleheader at Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, N.C.
In game one, Gale went 3-for-5 and scored two runs. Junior shortstop Mikayla Cuthbertson and sophomore center fielder
Mikaela Goss both tallied two hits. Goss drove in three runs and Cuthbertson scored twice.
Poston (21-3) scattered 11 hits, five of which were homers, struck out eight and did not walk a batter.
FMU took a 1-0 first-inning lead on a RBI-fielder's choice grounder by Goss. The Patriots exploded for six runs in the second, including a 2-run double by senior right fielder
Katie Smith, run-scoring hits by Goss and sophomore third baseman
Madalyn White, and an RBI-fielder's choice by Gale.
A solo home run by Division II RBI-leader
Taylor Watford in the fourth upped the Patriots advantage to 8-1.
The Tornado (22-20, 9-7) closed to within 8-6 before Goss' run-scoring single to left made the margin 9-6 in the top of the sixth. King scored once in the bottom half of the sixth, but the Patriots answered with four runs in the seventh thanks to a two-run single by Gale and a pair of King errors.
In the second contest, King pitcher Nikole Counts (4-7) blanked the Patriots on six hits to snap FMU's 12-game winning streak.
White was the lone Patriot with multiple hits in game two. She extended her streak of consecutive games safely reaching base to 29.
The Tornado scored three runs in the second and two each in the third and fourth frames.
FMU freshman righty
Abby Williams (2-4) started and took the loss.
Francis Marion 13, King University 7 (Apr 13, 2024 at Bristol, Tenn.) (Game 1)
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Francis Marion...... 160 101 4 - 13 12 1 (36-8, 15-2 CC)
King University...... 010 321 0 - 7 11 3 (21-20, 8-7 CC)
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Pitchers: Francis Marion -
Alyssa Poston and
Lauren Smallwood;
Kendal Miller. King University -
Savana Luper; Marleigh Duncan(2) and Alyssa Suits.
Win-
Alyssa Poston (21-3) Loss-Savana Luper (8-7) T-1:56 A-0
HR FMU_SB -
Taylor Watford (12).
HR KING - Aviah Bunsic (1); Alyssa Suits 2 (9); Tori Ryan (3); Rachel Jardim (5).
Weather: Sunny, 60, Windy
King University 7, Francis Marion 0 (Apr 13, 2024 at Bristol, Tenn.) (Game 2)
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Francis Marion...... 000 000 0 - 0 6 3 (36-9, 14-3 CC)
King University..... 032 200 X - 7 10 4 (21-19, 8-6 CC)
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Pitchers: Francis Marion -
Abby Williams;
Jenna Walling(3) and
Kendal Miller;
Marlee McCormick.
King University - Nikole Counts and Alyssa Suits.
Win-Nikole Counts (4-7) Loss-
Abby Williams (2-4) T-1:53 A-269
Weather: Sunny, 60, Windy
