DUNCAN, SC – Senior left-hander Alyssa Poston retied the first 12 batters she faced and finished with a two-hit shutout as top-seeded and 11th-ranked Francis Marion University blanked 12th-seeded Converse University 8-0, Friday afternoon (Apr. 24) on the second day of the 2026 Conference Carolinas Softball Tournament.
 
The Patriots, winners of 10 straight, move to 41-10 and advance to Saturday's semifinals where they will play seventh-seeded University of Mount Olive at noon. The tournament is being played at Tyger River Park in Duncan, S.C.
 
Poston (11-2) faced only three batters over the minimum in the six-inning contest.  The Hartsville native surrendered only a fifth-inning single and a sixth-inning single, while one batter reached on a fielding error.  She struck out six and did not issue a walk.
 
At the plate, FMU senior shortstop Madalyn White registered two hits, two runs scored, a double and a run batted in, while graduate student first baseman Jenna Walling had two hits, including a walk-off homer, and two RBIs.  Graduate student third baseman Rylie Webster also collected two hits, including a double, and drove in two runs.
 
After scoring in every inning of Thursday's first-round win over King University, the Patriots started quickly against the Valkyries, scoring three times in the first frame.
 
White led off with a walk – extending her streak of safely reaching base to 23 games – and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt.  Walling was hit by a pitch before junior designated player McKenzie Jewell dropped an RBI-single into left field to score White with the game's first run.  The relay throw was miss-handled allowing both Walling and Jewell to move up a base.  Webster followed with a high chopper that deflected off the shortstop's glove and across the third base line for a two-run double.
 
Singles by Walling and Webster and a fielding error loaded the bases for FMU with one out in the bottom of the third.  Senior second baseman Maddy Golka upped the margin to 4-0 with a bases loaded walk.
 
Goss led off the fourth with a single to right field and scored when White doubled just inside the first base bag.  Senior left fielder Anderson Thrower reached on an infield single extending her hitting streak to 15 games and sending White to third.  White scored the sixth run on a sacrifice fly by Walling and Thrower later scored on a two Valkyries error.
 
Walling ended the contest via the 8-run mercy rule when she hit her second home run in as many days, a solo shot over the center field wall, with one out in the bottom of the sixth.
 
Right Gracee Stucki (12-17) was tagged with the loss as Converse (16-36) dropped into the losers' bracket and will play later Friday.