FLORENCE, SC – Francis Marion University received two strong pitching performances, but the sixth-ranked Patriots had to settle for a doubleheader split with visiting Catawba College, Wednesday (Feb. 18) in non-conference softball action. FMU won the opening game 6-1, while Catawba took the second contest 2-1.
Francis Marion (10-2) will host the Patriot Invitational Tournament on Friday and Saturday (please note this is a change from previous schedules due to forecasted rain this weekend). The Patriots will play 23rd-ranked Kutztown University at 2 p.m. on Friday and Flagler College at 6 p.m. In between, Flagler and Kutztown will meet at 4 p.m.
On Saturday, Francis Marion and Kutztown will face off again at 1 p.m., Kutztown will play Flagler at 3 p.m., and Francis Marion will meet Flagler at 5 p.m.
Daily admission is $10 for adults and $5 for students, with FMU students admitted free with identification.
In Wednesday's opener, Patriot senior left-hander
Alyssa Poston (4-1) became only the fourth FMU hurler to reach 60 career wins as she tossed a five-hitter. She allowed only a solo home run in the second inning, while striking out eight and issuing no walks. She also recently surpassed 500 career strikeouts, including her freshman season at Mars Hill University.
FMU senior left fielder
Anderson Thrower led the Patriots at the plate with a pair of hits.
Trailing 1-0 to Catawba starter Alex Baquie (1-1) into the sixth inning, Francis Marion erupted for six runs in that frame. Senior shortstop
Madalyn White led off with a walk, and singles by Thrower and senior right fielder
Paige Strickland loaded the bases with no outs. Junior designated hitter
McKenzie Jewell plated the tying run with a sacrifice fly. Senior second baseman
Rylie Webster drove in the go-ahead tally with a double down the left field line.
Junior third baseman
Rachel Little collected her first hit as a Patriot with an RBI-single through the left side and sophomore catcher
Rylee Gray upped the margin to 4-1 with a run-scoring double to left center field. Little came home on a passed ball and graduate student first baseman
Jenna Walling accounted for the final run with a run-scoring single down the left field line.
In the second contest, FMU was held to four hits by Catawba starter Kate Holland (3-0).
Walling (6-1) was the tough-luck loser as she allowed only two runs on six hits with eight strikeouts.
Francis Marion took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third when senior center fielder
Mikaela Goss led off with a triple and scored on a wild pitch. White did draw a walk in that inning to extend her streak of safely reaching base to 32 games.
The Catawba Indians scored their two runs with two outs in the sixth inning. The second coming home on a hard single back to the circle that glanced off Walling's glove and rolled to the shortstop area.
FMU did get a one-out double from Jewell in the bottom of the sixth, but the Patriots were unable to move pinch runner
Giana Mirenda any further.
