FLORENCE, S.C. --  Senior first baseman Janine Allen collected four hits, including a pair of home runs, and drove in seven runs to lead 21st-ranked Francis Marion University to a Peach Belt Conference doubleheader sweep of Lander University 11-0 and 12-3, Friday afternoon (April 6) in softball action.

FMU improves to 32-12 overall and 10-8 in the PBC, while Lander falls to 11-33 and 4-14.

Allen homered twice and doubled while driving in six runs in the opener. Her grand slam in the opening frame and a two-run homer in the second inning helped stake FMU to an early 9-0 lead. She nearly became only the second Patriot to have three home runs in a game, but her fourth-inning drive hit the top of the left field fence and she had to settle for a double. Kelly Kermode homered three times for the Patriots in 1998 against Newberry College. No player had ever hit three home runs in a PBC contest.

Shortstop Allie Aleman drove in three runs with a bases-loaded single and sophomore Shawn Moore hit a solo home run for the Patriots. Aleman finished game one 2-for-3 and scored twice.

Senior right-hander Jessica Johnson (5-1) started and won both games of the twinbill for FMU, running her career mark to 50-20 in 96 appearances. Both games went five innings due to the eight-run mercy rule.

Natalie Smith and Kyndall Freer both had two hits for the Bearcats in the opener. Senior Ashlea Burdette (4-13) was the game-one loser, while junior Austin Murray (4-16) was tagged with the loss in game two.

The Patriots led 6-0 after two frames in the second contest. FMU tallied six runs in the fourth frame to lead 12-0, before Lander plated three runs in the fifth inning.

Catcher Kayla Ruede paced Francis Marion with a 2-for-3 game that saw her drive in four runs. Monica Wofford was 2-for-2 with 2 RBIs, and Shannan Tyson and Lakyn Bendle both had two hits and one RBI.

Two infield errors and a wild pitch helped lead to Lander’s three runs. Second baseman Corrie Bessinger led Lander in the second contest with a 3-for-3 showing. Sara Senn had the lone Bearcat RBI with an RBI single up the middle.

Francis Marion will play at Coker College, April 14 at 2 p.m.