FLORENCE, S.C. – Freshmen Lakyn Bendle's bloop RBI single to right field plated the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning of game one and sparked the Patriots to a doubleheader sweep of Pfeiffer University, Saturday afternoon (April 1) in non-conference women's softball action. FMU pounded out 10 hits in winning game two 10-1 in five innings.
Francis Marion improves to 24-10, while Pfeiffer drops to 12-27.
In game one, FMU took a 1-0 lead in the third inning on a sacrifice fly by Bendle, but Pfeiffer answered with a sacrifice fly by Jaimee Cassidy in the fourth. The game went to extra innings tied at 1-1 and the two squads used the international tie-breaker rule of placing a runner on second to open each half-inning.
The Falcons plated two runs in the top of the eighth, with Brittany Cowart and Erin Furness delivering RBI singles. FMU junior Janine Allen tied the game at 4-4 with a one-out, two-run home run over the left center field fence. In the top of the ninth, Pfeiffer again went up, 4-3, thanks to a run-scoring single by pinch-hitter Dacia Ijames. In the bottom of the frame, Jenna Sexton singled home Jamie Wiggins with one out to the again deadlock the game, with Sexton taking second on the throw from the outfield. Following a ground out that moved Sexton to third base, Bendle blooped her hit to short right field just out of the reach of the second baseman.
Allen, Sexton, Megan Pangburn, and Laura Hauff all collected two hits for the Patriots, while Cowart paced the Pfeiffer attack with a 2-for-3 showing and a run scored and one RBI.
FMU freshman right-hander Serena Lim (10-6) got the win pitching in relief, while Pfeiffer freshman Amanda Beck pitched a complete game, but was tagged with the loss.
In the second game, FMU tallied three runs in the first and five in the second to take a quick 8-0 advantage. FMU junior righty Jessica Johnson (13-4) allowed only four singles and one run in a complete-game effort. Pfeiffer lefty Kayleigh Snyder was the losing pitcher.
Bendle had a productive second game as well. The outfielder was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBIs. Pangburn and Lim also had two hits, with both Lim and Hauff driving in two runs.
No Falcon had more then one hit in the second game. Snyder scored Pfeiffer’s lone run in the fifth inning. She singled, stole second base, went to third on a ground out, and scored on a wild pitch.
FMU will play at North Georgia College & State University, next Saturday at 1 p.m., while Pfeiffer plays at Lenoir-Rhyne College, Sunday at 2 p.m.
