FLORENCE, SC – Sophomore left-handed pitcher Alyssa Poston recorded a pair of wins while allowing only one run on six hits in 11 innings to lead Francis Marion University to a sweep of UNC Pembroke in Saturday's (Apr. 6) Conference Carolinas softball doubleheader.  The Patriots won the opener 7-1 and the second game 12-6.
 
Francis Marion runs its winning streak to nine games and improves to 33-8 overall and a conference-best 12-2 in league play.  FMU will host Chowan University for a twinbill on Tuesday at 4 p.m.
 
Poston ups her season mark to 19-3 with the two wins.  She pitched a complete-game four-hitter in game one, striking out four and not issuing a walk.  She needed only 85 pitches, and only 18 missed the strike zone.
 
In game two, she came on in relief in the fourth inning and logged four more innings, while surrendering only two singles, a walk, and no runs the rest of the way.
 
In the opening game, UNCP scored once in the top of third, but FMU immediately responded with two runs in the bottom half of the frame.  A dropped fly ball led to the first run and junior second baseman Peyton Gale registered a two-out RBI single to left center to plate the second run.
 
With Poston holding the Braves scoreless the rest of the way, FMU added five insurance runs in the sixth inning.  Senior catcher Lauren Smallwood placed an RBI single down the right field line to up the margin to 3-0.  Junior shortstop Makayla Cuthbertson lined a two-run triple just inside the first base bag and sophomore third baseman Madalyn White followed with an RBI groundout.  Junior left fielder Emily Konz doubled just inside the third base bag and came in to score on a run-scoring single by senior first baseman Taylor Watford.
 
White, Konz, and Gale all finished game one with two hits.
 
The Patriots trailed 2-0 after an inning and a half in the second contest, but scored nine unanswered runs to go ahead 9-3.  Sophomore center fielder Mikaela Goss tripled to lead off the second inning and scored on Smallwood's single back up the middle. 
 
FMU sent 14 batters to the plate in the third inning and scored eight times.  Senior right fielder Katie Smith and Gale had run-scoring singles, White and Watford delivered two-run singles each, Cuthbertson walked with the bases loaded, and Goss scored on a wild pitch.
 
UNCP senior shortstop Jai Deese drilled a grand slam in the fourth to draw the Braves within 9-6.  That hit brought Poston back into the contest.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, Francis Marion scored three times as White plated Smallwood with a bunt single and Watford drilled a two-run single back up the middle.
 
White, Watford, and Goss all recorded two hits in the second contest.  Watford drove in five runs on the day and 13 during the week.
 
White extended her consecutive games streak of safely reaching base to 25, while Cuthbertson extended her hitting streak to seven games.

 
 
Francis Marion Univ. 7, UNC Pembroke 1 (Apr 06, 2024 at Florence, SC) (Game 1)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
UNC Pembroke........ 001 000 0 -  1  4  3      (16-24, 7-6 CC)
Francis Marion Univ. 002 005 X -  7 10  1      (32-8, 11-2 CC)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pitchers: UNC Pembroke - Kinsley Sheppard; Katie Neel(6) and Chloe Locklear.
Francis Marion Univ. - Alyssa Poston and Lauren Smallwood.
Win-Alyssa Poston (18-3)  Loss-Kinsley Sheppard (7-9)  T-1:50  A-123
Weather: Clear,Sunny,56.Winds SE@8 mph
 
 
Francis Marion Univ. 12, UNC Pembroke 6 (Apr 06, 2024 at Florence, SC) (Game 2)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
UNC Pembroke........ 110 400 0 -  6 11  2      (16-25, 7-7 CC)
Francis Marion Univ. 018 300 X - 12 12  1      (33-8, 12-2 CC)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pitchers: UNC Pembroke - Summer Bullard; Katie Neel(5) and Chloe Locklear.
Francis Marion Univ. - Abby Williams; Jenna Walling(4); Alyssa Poston(4) and Lauren Smallwood.
Win-Alyssa Poston(19-3)  Loss-Summer Bullard(7-10)  T-2:25  A-0
HR UNCP - Jai Deese (10).
Weather: Clear,Sunny,61,Winds SE@11 mph
Walling faced 4 batters in the 4th.