AIKEN, S.C. – A dominating pitching performance in the opener and faulty defense by USC Aiken (4-2, 0-2 PBC) in the nightcap led to visiting Francis Marion University (2-0, 2-0) sweeping a Peach Belt Conference softball doubleheader in the conference opener for both schools.

The Patriots won the first game 8-0 behind a one-hit shutout from Michaela Wolf, before jumping out to a 12-1 lead in game two and holding on for a 14-6 victory.   Wolf came within two outs of tossing a perfect game.

Wolf, a freshman making her first collegiate start, was virtually unhittable in game one as she set down the first 19 USCA batters in order. With one out in the bottom of the seventh, senior Keshia Venable, who had hit the ball hard all game, was able to rip a ground ball past the first baseman and into right field for the Lady Pacers’ first and only hit of the game.  

The freshman southpaw finished the one-hit shutout working all seven innings, giving up just the one hit while striking out four and not walking a batter.  

USC Aiken ace Samantha Blair (3-1) had no such luck, as the game got away from her in the fourth inning.  An unearned run led to a 1-0 Patriot lead through three, but the visitors tagged Blair for four runs in the fourth.  The inning’s big hit was a bases clearing 3-RBI double to right center off the bat of Shannon Tyson.  

Allie Aleman added a solo homerun and an RBI double in the last two innings as the Patriots closed out the win.  Blair finished the game pitching all seven innings, giving up eight runs, seven earned on 12 hits.  The senior struck out five while walking three batters.  

Aleman had four of the Patriot hits, going 4-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBI.  Wolf helped out her own cause getting two hits in three at-bats while driving in one and scoring one.  

Francis Marion jumped out to a quick start in game two against junior Kristen Cochran as a two-out walk to Janine Allen spelled doom.  Aleman made Cochran pay for the walk, belting her second homerun of the day deep over the fence in left-center field for a 2-0 lead.  

Cochran loaded the bases with no outs in the third.  The junior looked to have worked her way out of the jam giving up just one run when Kayla Reude sent a grounder to short.  However, senior first baseman Ashley Dyches lost the throw in the sun and the ball got by her.  The Patriots scored three unearned runs in the inning and chased Cochran from the game.  

USCA finally scored their first run of the game in the fourth when Dyches plated Jessica Strickland with an RBI double off Patriot starter Serena Lim (1-0) that made it 6-1.

After a scoreless fifth inning for both teams, four hits and two more USCA errors in the sixth inning led to six more Francis Marion off freshman reliever Toni Flessate and a 12-1 deficit for the Lady Pacers.

With the game threatening to be over due to the eight-run rule, USCA’s offense came alive in the bottom half of the sixth.  The Lady Pacers used six singles to plate four runs and keep the game going at 12-5.  

Two more Patriot runs made it 14-5 going into the Lady Pacers last at-bat.  Freshman Sherelle Brooks led off with a triple, prompting the Francis Marion coaching staff to send Wolf back out in relief to close the door.  Wolf allowed a sacrifice fly to sophomore Jessica Strickland to score Brooks, but retired three straight to end the game.

Brooks and Strickland both had two hits and scored two runs in game two for USCA, while Strickland drove in two runs.  Cochran took the loss, pitching two and two-thirds, allowing six runs, three earned, on six hits.  

FMU plays host to Belmont Abbey, Saturday at 1 p.m. in the Patriots' home opener.