GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – Francis Marion University (7-5) swept a non-conference softball doubleheader from Tusculum College (8-9-2) on Sunday afternoon (March 5) at J.C. "Red" Edmonds Field. The Patriots won the first game 13-3 in five innings, and then took the nightcap 5-4.
In the opening game, Francis Marion exploded for 12 runs in the top of the third inning. The scoring frenzy was highlighted by a grand slam by Allie Aleman (Santa Ana, Calif.) and a two-run homer by Janine Allen (Lilburn, Ga.). Aleman later drove in two more runs with a bases-loaded single to left centerfield.
Tusculum would plate three runs of its own in the bottom half of the third inning. Chrissy Wilkison drove in the Pioneers’ first run with a double to left center, which scored Nicole Ringwall. Cortney Schwartz drove in two more runs with a double to left, allowing Wilkison and Brie Griffin to score.
FMU put the final run on the scoreboard in the fifth when junior second baseman Tatjana Slawson (North Charleston, S.C.) drove in Shannan Tyson (Seminole, Fla.) with a single.
Aleman led the Patriots at the plate, going 2-for-4 with six RBIs, while Tyson was 4-for-4 with one RBI. For the Pioneers, Schwartz was 2-for-2 with two RBI.
Jessica Johnson (Palm City, Fla.) picked up the win, her fourth in six decisions, for Francis Marion, allowing three earned runs on four hits and four walks. She struck out three. Monica Funigiello took the loss for TC, allowing seven earned runs on eight hits over 2.0 innings.
In the second game, the Pioneers struck first, scoring one run in the first inning on a Wilkison RBI double. They added two more runs in the second frame when a fielding error by the Patriot defense allowed Jenica Fernandez and Judith Saavedra to plate one unearned run each.
The Patriots cut their deficit to 3-2 in the top of the fourth inning when Tyson doubled to left field to score Jenna Sexton (Marietta, Ga.) and Allen.
FMU took a 5-3 lead in the sixth when Slawson launched a three-run homer over the fence in left center. Anna Johnson singled to right to drive in a Pioneer run in the bottom of the seventh, but TC could get no closer, falling 5-4.
Freshman righty Serena Lim (Sacramento, Calif.) was the winning pitcher for the Patriots, allowing two earned runs on seven hits and two walks, as she improved her season mark to 3-3. She struck out four. Megan DuBois took the loss for Tusculum, allowing three earned runs on four hits over 2.0 innings.
Francis Marion will play at Lander University on Wednesday at 2 p.m.
