WILSON, NC – Junior shortstop
Madalyn White recorded five hits, but seventh-ranked Francis Marion University saw its 17-game winning streak snapped as the Patriots split a Conference Carolina softball doubleheader with Barton College on Wednesday afternoon (March 12). FMU won the opener 5-4, but fell in the second contest 10-2 in five innings.
Francis Marion, now 21-3 overall and 3-1 in conference play, will travel to Chowan University in Murfreesboro, N.C., on Saturday for a noon doubleheader.
The winning streak was the longest for the Patriot program since the 2003 squad opened its season 18-0.
In the opener, White was 3-for-3 with a walk, two runs scored, and one driven in.
Francis Marion took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first by scoring twice on Barton throwing errors. The Bulldogs (13-11, 1-3) answered with three runs in their half of the first.
White walked with the bases loaded in the fourth frame to knot the score at 3-3 and senior center fielder
Emily Konz followed with a sacrifice fly to give the Patriots a 4-3 advantage.
In the top of the seventh, White led off with a single and later scored an important insurance run on a two-out, RBI-single to right field by junior designated player
Kendal Miller. Miller is the conference's reigning Player of the Week.
Barton scored once in the bottom of the seventh and had the potential tying run on second when Bulldog third baseman Mary Lindsey Harris lined into a double play to end the game. Patriot junior
Maddy Golka made a diving snag of the liner near the second base bag and then flipped the ball to White to double the runner off second.
FMU junior left-hander
Alyssa Poston improved to 12-1 with a complete-game effort. She scattered seven hits and only two of the four runs were earned. She struck out three and walked only one.
Bulldog starter Kiersten Cooper (7-7) was the losing pitcher.
In the second contest, White added two more hits and scored once, while junior outfielder
Anderson Thrower was 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI.
Thrower singled home White in the top of the first to give FMU an early 1-0 lead. Barton responded with three runs in the bottom of the first, the first of nine unanswered tallies over the first four innings.
Francis Marion cut the deficit to 9-2 in the fifth when Konz tripled to center field and continued home on a throwing error. However, the Bulldogs scored once in the bottom of the frame to end the game.
FMU freshman righty
Aliyah Gibson (0-1) made her first collegiate start and was charged with the loss. Barton's Ali Bunch (2-1) earned the win with five innings of work.
#7 Francis Marion 5, Barton 4 (Mar 12, 2025 at Wilson, N.C.) (Game 1)
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Francis Marion...... 200 200 1 - 5 6 2 (21-2, 3-0 CC)
Barton................... 300 000 1 - 4 7 3 (12-11, 0-3 CC)
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Pitchers: Francis Marion -
Alyssa Poston and
Rylee Gray. Barton - Kierstin Cooper and
Sydney Wade.
Win-
Alyssa Poston(12-1) Loss-Kierstin Cooper(7-7) T-1:50 A-125
Weather: 75, clear, very nice
Barton 10, #7 Francis Marion 2 (Mar 12, 2025 at Wilson, N.C.) (Game 2)
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Francis Marion...... 100 01 - 2 8 3 (21-3, 3-1 CC)
Barton.............. 321 31 - 10 10 1 (13-11, 1-3 CC)
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Pitchers: Francis Marion -
Aliyah Gibson;
Jenna Walling(2);
Alyssa Poston(5) and
Rylee Gray.
Barton - Ali Bunch and Sydney Wade.
Win-Ali Bunch(2-1) Loss-
Aliyah Gibson(0-1) T-1:45 A-75
Weather: 75, sunny
Walling faced 1 batter in the 5th.
