FLORENCE, S.C. – Sophomore catcher Kayla Ruede drilled a 10th-inning two-run homer in game one and a ninth-inning two-run double in game two as Francis Marion University took a pair of extra-inning decisions from Peach Belt Conference newcomer Georgia Southwestern State University, Saturday afternoon (Feb. 24). FMU won the opener 7-5 on Ruede’s long ball, and captured game two 7-4 on the strength of a three-run ninth frame.

Francis Marion improves to 10-2 overall and 5-1 in the PBC, while Georgia Southwestern drops to 6-12 and 0-4. FMU plays a conference twinbill at Augusta State University on Wednesday at 1 p.m.

Freshman left-hander Michaela Wolf (8-1) got the win in both games. She tossed a complete-game effort in game one, allowing nine hits and striking out eight. She pitched the final four innings of game two, allowing no runs on two hits.

Ruede went 1-for-5 in the opener and 2-for-4 in the second contest. Sophomore third baseman Shannon Tyson had a pair of hits in both games, and senior Jenna Sexton hit a solo homer in game two and scored twice.

With the help of three FMU errors, Georgia Southwestern scored twice in the bottom of the seventh inning of game one to force extra innings. The Hurricanes returned the favor in game two as the Patriots capitalized on three Georgia Southwestern errors in the top of the seventh inning to score a pair of runs and tie the game at 4-4. The Hurricanes committed eight miscues in game two, after making five errors in the opener.