FLORENCE, SC – Junior first baseman Marycille Brumby delivered a two-out run-scoring single to center field in the top of the 10th inning to hand 11th-ranked and second-seeded University of North Georgia a harrowing 5-4 win over second-ranked and top-seeded Francis Marion University, Thursday afternoon (May 15) in the opening game of the best two-out-of-three NCAA Division II Softball Southeast Super Regional.
Francis Marion (52-5) and North Georgia (47-13) will play game two on Friday at 1 p.m. at the FMU Softball Stadium. An FMU victory would force the "if necessary" game at 4 p.m. on Friday, while a UNG win would send the Nighthawks to the Division II World Series.
Admission is $10.
Following Brumby's hit in the top of the 10th, Francis Marion loaded the bases in the bottom of the frame on a single and two walks. However, FMU junior shortstop
Madalyn White, who leads Division II in hits with 100, lined out sharply to left field to end the contest.
FMU junior right-hander
Jenna Walling (19-2) was the losing pitcher despite surrendering only one run on four hits in five innings. Junior southpaw
Alyssa Poston started for the Patriots and allowed four runs on eight hits in five innings.
White and junior designated player
Anderson Thrower led Francis Marion with three hits apiece. White extended her hitting streak to 18 games and became the first Patriot to reach the century mark in hits for a season.
Three other Patriots recorded two hits: senior outfielder
Emily Konz, junior right fielder
Paige Strickland, and junior catcher
Kendal Miller. Miller also drove in two runs.
North Georgia struck first on an RBI-single by junior left fielder Natalie Ray in the top of the first. FMU answered back in the bottom of the frame with a two-out run-scoring single through the left side by Miller.
The Patriots plated three runs in the bottom of the third to assume a 4-1 advantage. Miller singled with the bases loaded to score a run and Strickland also scored on the play due to a throwing error. Thrower accounted for the third run of the inning when she scored on a wild pitch.
In the top of the fourth, North Georgia evened the contest at 4-4 by plating three runs. The outburst was ended by a catch in center field by
Mikaela Goss as she leaped and crashed into the fence. That was one of three highlight-reel catches by the junior outfielder.
Neither team would score again until the decisive tenth, although both teams had opportunities. Francis Marion stranded a pair of runners in the fifth inning. Strckland reached third base with one out in the bottom of the seventh, but was stranded there.
UNG got a runner to third in the ninth, but didn't score, and White got into scoring position in the ninth, but was left on second.
UNG freshman right-hander Graci West (7-1) earned the win in relief, tossing 7.2 scoreless innings. She struck out nine and scattered six hits.
#11 U. of North Georgia 5, #2 Francis Marion Univ. 4 (May 15, 2025 at Florence, SC)
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U. of North Georgia. 100 300 000 1 - 5 12 1 (47-13)
Francis Marion Univ. 103 000 000 0 - 4 13 0 (52-5)
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Pitchers: U. of North Georgia - Chloe Poss; Graci West(3) and Carleigh Knowles.
Francis Marion Univ. -
Alyssa Poston;
Jenna Walling(6) and
Kendal Miller.
Win-Graci West(7-1) Loss-
Jenna Walling(19-2) T-3:00 A-197
Weather: Partly Cloudy,85,Winds NE@12mp
