FLORENCE, SC – Junior right fielder
Paige Strickland produced only the third three-homer game in program history and junior right-hander
Jenna Walling notched a win and a save as fourth-ranked Francis Marion University swept a doubleheader from the University of Mount Olive, winning 6-5 and 9-1 on Saturday afternoon (Apr. 12) in Conference Carolinas softball action.
FMU registers its second 18-game winning streak of the season and improves to 39-3 overall. The Patriots capture the East Division championship, now with a 19-1 league mark.
Francis Marion will play a twinbill at Converse University on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Tyger River Park in Duncan, S.C.
Strickland's record-tying performance came during the 9-1 game-two victory. She hit a solo homer in the first, a three-run shot in the fourth, and a walk-off three-run blast in the fifth. Her three round-trippers tie the Patriot record previously accomplished by
Taylor Watford (current FMU bench coach) against Augusta University in 2024 and Kelly Kermode against Newberry College in 1998.
Strickland, who entered the doubleheader third in the country in RBIs, drove in seven runs in game two, one shy of the school record.
Junior shortstop
Madalyn White helped set the table for Strickland by going 4-for-4, while senior outfielder
Emily Konz was 2-for-2 with the other two RBIs.
White also made a spectacular back-handed diving catch of a bunt that was popped into the air near the 5.5 hole between short and third.
Walling (13-1) tossed her 10th complete game of the season, allowing the one run on six hits with three strikeouts. The victory was her 50th career win in only 58 decisions, and she ties right-hander Heather Johnson for third place on the program's career wins list.
UMO junior Bri Verme (2-3) was tagged with the loss in the circle, despite going 2-for-2 at the plate.
In Saturday's opener, Fracis Marion built a 6-0 advantage and the held off the Trojans (23-21, 13-11).
White and junior first baseman
Tallulah Civoniceva registered two hits each, while Strickland belted a two-run triple and junior catcher Kendall Miller collected a two-run single.
Junior left-hander
Alyssa Poston (21-1) picked up the win with 6.1 innings of work. She surrendered five runs on seven hits, while striking out five.
Walling registered the final two outs to earn her third save of 2025, tying the FMU single-season record held by many.
Patriot junior outfielder
Anderson Thrower delivered a run-scoring single in the first. Senior third baseman
Peyton Gale doubled the margin with a sacrifice fly in the third.
Strickland's two-run triple and Miller's two-run single upped the margin to 6-0 in the fourth.
UMO trimmed the deficit in the sixth inning thanks to a two-double by first baseman Laci Best and a two-run homer by catcher Brittany Stephens. A solo homer by Verme in the seventh made it a one-run margin.
With her four hits, Strickland also extended her hitting streak to 17 games.
Junior righty Cayden Sutton (1-3) was the game-one loser.
Prior to the Senior Day twinbill, FMU honored its four seniors: Konz, Gale,
Samantha Turnage, and
Emma Moberg.
#4 Francis Marion Univ. 6, Univ. of Mount Olive 5 (Apr 12, 2025 at Florence, SC) (Game 1)
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Univ. of Mount Olive 000 004 1 - 5 7 1 (23-20, 13-10 CC)
Francis Marion Univ. 101 400 x - 6 10 1 (38-3, 18-1 CC)
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Pitchers: Univ. of Mount Olive – Cayden Sutton; Bri Verme(5) and Brittany Stephens.
Francis Marion Univ. –
Alyssa Poston;
Jenna Walling (7) and
Kendal Miller.
Win-
Alyssa Poston (21-1) Loss-Cayden Sutton(1-3) SV-
Jenna Walling(3) T-1:48 A-207
HR UMO – Brittany Stephens (5), Bri Verme (1).
Weather: Mostly Cloudy,58,Winds SE @ 8 mph
#4 Francis Marion Univ. 9, Univ. of Mount Olive 1 (Apr 12, 2025 at Florence, SC) (Game 2)
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Univ. of Mount Olive 001 00 - 1 6 2 (23-21, 13-11 CC)
Francis Marion Univ. 210 33 - 9 11 0 (39-3, 19-1 CC)
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Pitchers: Univ. of Mount Olive - Bri Verme; Linda Hodge(4) and Brittany Stephens.
Francis Marion Univ. -
Jenna Walling and
Kendal Miller.
Win-
Jenna Walling(13-1) Loss-Bri Verme(2-3) T-1:30 A-0
HR FMU_SB -
Paige Strickland 3 (13).
Weather: Overcast,62,Winds SE @ 7 mph
Verme faced 3 batters in the 4th.
