MILLEDGEVILLE, GA – In a battle of the two nationally ranked softball teams in the Peach Belt Conference, each team took one game of the doubleheader, as second-ranked Georgia College & State University (24-4, 3-1 PBC) split the twinbill with 10th-ranked Francis Marion University (23-5, 7-3 PBC) Wednesday at the Peeler Complex. The Lady Bobcats took game one 3-2 in 10 innings, while game two was a 6-3 Patriot win.

The Lady Bobcats jumped on FMU in the first inning of game one, plating a pair of runs. A leadoff triple by Sherquita Bostick was followed by a Lindsey Swanson walk, and both later scored on a Kayla Smith single. The Patriots tied the game with two runs in the third frame when Monica Wofford belted a two-run homer. Then the arms took over, as GCSU’s Mandy Chandler and FMU sophomore southpaw Michaela Wolf put up gooseggs until the 10th.

After two quick groundouts, Smith singled up the middle to start the two-out rally. After a walk, senior Brianna Hope ripped a shot up the middle, allowing Smith to score.  Chandler threw all 10 innings in the win (13-2), allowing five hits and two runs while striking out 13. Wolf dropped to 16-3 with 9.2 innings of work, striking out six.

Game two was more of the same early on, as GCSU picked up runs in the first and third to go up 2-0. GC&SU pitcher Tonya Medders had an RBI single in the first, and added an RBI double in the third.

The Patriots knotted it up with back-to-back RBI singles in the fourth from Stevie Arrand and Lakyn Bendle. A three-run fifth highlighted by a Shannan Tyson two-run double made it 5-2, and after a GC&SU run in the bottom half brought it to 5-3, FMU extended the lead to the 6-3 final on a Jesse Alesi pinch-hit double.

Medders took the loss (9-2) going 4.2 innings allowing five runs on 11 hits. Wolf (17-3) picked up the relief victory for the Patriots allowing just one run on six scattered hits over four innings.

Francis Marion’s leadoff hitter Tyson was outstanding, going a combined 6-for-10 with two RBIs, and extending her hitting streak to 23 games.  Arrand added a 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs from the nine hole in game two.

GCSU’s Smith was a combined 4-of-9 with two RBI and one run scored. Hope went 3-for-5 with an RBI in game one, and Medders added a 4-for-4 effort with two RBI and a run in game two.

FMU hosts the Eastern Carolina Softball Classic on Friday and Saturday on the FMU Softball Field.