FLORENCE, S.C. – Junior outfielder Jenna Sexton clouted a two-run home run to lead Francis Marion University to a 3-2 game one win as the Patriots and Augusta State University split a Peach Belt Conference softball doubleheader on Thursday afternoon (April 13). ASU took advantage of three Francis Marion errors to score five unearned runs en route to a 5-0 victory in game two.

Francis Marion is now 26-12 overall and 7-7 in the PBC, while ASU is 27-12 and 12-4.

In the opener, ASU righty Amy Dumas, the nation’s strikeout leader, silenced the FMU bats through four innings. ASU took a 1-0 lead in the first frame when Courtney Smith scored on an error by FMU shortstop Allie Aleman. On the play, Smith crossed in front of Aleman as she was charging the grounder and there was contact between the two players, but interference was not called.

Dumas fanned eight Patriots through four innings before running into trouble in the fifth. FMU catcher Jamie Wiggins, playing her final home games on Senior Day, started the Patriot rally with a triple to right field. She scored on an RBI single by freshman Megan Pangburn. Sexton then followed with her fourth career homer, a two-run shot over the left field fence.   The Lady Jaguars trimmed the lead to 3-2 on a one-out RBI single by right fielder Brooke Southerland.

Francis Marion junior right-hander Jessica Johnson (15-5) retired ASU in order in the seventh to record her 16th complete game of the year. Dumas (15-5) ended the game with 13 strikeouts in six innings. Dumas and ASU left fielder Anna Cheely were the only players with two hits in the game as they both went 2-for-3 at the plate.

In the second contest, ASU sophomore righty Jacklyn Benenhaley (2-1) and Dumas (first save) combined on a three-hitter. Southerland and Anna Tedder paced the Lady Jaguars at the plate with two hits apiece.  Freshman Serena Lim (10-7) took the loss for FMU.

In the third inning, Augusta State tallied three runs with the help of a Patriot error. Paige Phillips drove in the first run with a fielder’s choice grounder and Jennifer Tomlinson doubled home two runs. The lead grew to 4-0 in the fourth when Phillips doubled home a run following a costly two-out FMU error. The final run came in the sixth inning when Tedder scored on a misplayed fly ball.

FMU will play at Armstrong Atlantic State University, Saturday at 1 p.m., while Augusta State entertains Columbus State University, Saturday at 1 p.m.