FLORENCE, SC – Junior left-hander
Alyssa Poston notched a game-one win and game-two save as fourth-ranked Francis Marion University swept a doubleheader from Chowan University, winning 8-2 and 9-5 on Tuesday evening (Apr. 8) in Conference Carolinas softball action.
FMU (37-3, 17-1) extends its winning streak to 16 games and clinches at least a share of the East Division championship. The Patriots will celebrate Senior Day on Saturday (Apr. 12) by hosting the University of Mount Olive for a 1 p.m. doubleheader.
Poston (20-1) earned the win in Tuesday's opener. She scattered six hits and allowed only two runs, while striking out a season-high 13 batters. The Hartsville southpaw is now tied for fifth (with Heather Johnson) on the Patriots' career wins list with 48.
Seniors
Emily Konz and
Peyton Gale each collected three hits and scored twice. Junior outfielder
Paige Strickland and junior designated player
Kendal Miller had two hits apiece.
After Chowan (17-22, 8-10) struck first on a solo homer by center fielder Mckenzie Misenheimer in the top of the first, the Patriots knotted the game at 1-1 on back-to-back doubles by Gale and junior first baseman
Tallulah Civoniceva in the second.
Francis Marion exploded for six runs in the fifth inning and chased Chowan starter Kendyl Elliott (2-2). Junior second baseman Riley Webster started the inning by reaching on a dropped fly ball, and would later score on a second Hawks' error. Three consecutive bunt singles loaded the bases before Miller and Gale delivered RBI-singles. Civoniceva then walked to force in a run and freshman catcher
Rylee Gray hit a two-run sacrifice fly to deep left-center field.
Both teams scored single runs in the sixth to account for the final score. Junior left fielder
Anderson Thrower plated the FMU run with a run-scoring groundout.
The Patriots jumped on Hawks' starter Haileigh Boone (6-8) for three runs over the first two frames of the second contest.
Konz scored all the way from second base on a passed ball in the bottom of the first and Webster cranked a two-run homer over the left field foul pole in the second.
After Chowan scored twice in the top of the third to narrow the margin to 3-2, FMU scored five times in the bottom of the third. Miller produced an infield run-scoring single and Civoniceva drilled a two-run homer to left. Konz later doubled home two runs to push the lead to 8-2.
A three-run homer by Hawks' third baseman Elizabeth Ingle in the fifth drew Chowan to within 8-5. Strickland lined an RBI-single back up the middle in the bottom of the fifth for an insurance run and to extend her hitting streak to 15 games.
FMU freshman right-hander
Aliyah Gibson (1-1) pitched a scoreless sixth inning to earn her first collegiate win. Poston entered the game in the seventh with two runners on base and no outs and retired the next three batters – two by strikeout – to end the threat and the contest.
Junior shortstop
Madalyn White led FMU with three hits and a run scored, while Konz, Miller, and Webster all had two hits in game two.
FMU runs its all-time record against Chowan to 21-0.
#4 Francis Marion Univ. 8, Chowan University 2 (Apr 08, 2025 at Florence, SC) (Game 1)
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Chowan University... 100 001 0 - 2 6 4 (17-21, 8-9 CC)
Francis Marion Univ. 010 061 X - 8 12 0 (36-3, 16-1 CC)
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Pitchers: Chowan University - Kendyl Elliot; Alex Bishop(5) and Lenita Bryson.
Francis Marion Univ. -
Alyssa Poston;
Aliyah Gibson(7) and
Rylee Gray;
Kendal Miller.
Win-
Alyssa Poston(20-1) Loss-Kendyl Elliot(2-2) T-1:40 A-137
HR CHOWAN - Mckenzie Misenheimer (7).
Weather: Mostly Sunny,69,Winds SE@10mph
#4 Francis Marion Univ. 9, Chowan University 5 (Apr 08, 2025 at Florence, SC) (Game 2)
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Chowan University... 002 030 0 - 5 5 1 (17-22, 8-10 CC)
Francis Marion Univ. 125 010 X - 9 12 2 (37-3, 17-1 CC)
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Pitchers: Chowan University - H. Boone; Abby Rutledge(3) and Lenita Bryson.
Francis Marion Univ. -
Jenna Walling;
Abby Williams(4);
Aliyah Gibson(6);
Alyssa Poston(7) and
Kendal Miller.
Win-
Aliyah Gibson (1-1) Save-
Alyssa Poston (1) Loss-H. Boone (6-8) T-2:17
HR CHOWAN - Elizabeth Ingle (7).
HR FMU_SB -
Tallulah Civoniceva (7);
Rylie Webster (6).
Weather: Mostly Clear,70,Winds SE@9mph
Gibson faced 2 batters in the 7th.