DAHLONEGA, GA – Sophomore left-hander Michael Wolf pitched a three-hit shutout and outfielder Jessica Birchmeier’s first-inning RBI double gave fifth-ranked Francis Marion University a 1-0 win over North Georgia College & State University in game one of Sunday’s Peach Belt Conference softball doubleheader, but the Saints managed a split with a late 3-2 victory in game two.
Francis Marion moves to 30-9 overall and 10-6 in the PBC, and records its 10th 30-win season over the past 12 campaigns. North Georgia is now 29-7 and 10-4.
Birchmeier’s double to left field plated Shannan Tyson, who led off game one with a single. That would be the only run Wolf would need in the opener as she struck out three and walked two.
Both Tyson and Birchmeier had two hits in game one, accounting for four of FMU’s five safeties. North Georgia’s Sarah Phillips (13-4) was tagged with the hard-luck loss.
After North Georgia took a 1-0 lead in the opening frame of game two, FMU answered with a pair of runs in its next at bat on a 2-run singe to right field by Tyson. Wolf (21-6) relieved FMU game-two starter Melanie Bisek in the second inning and allowed only five hits in 5.1 innings of relief.
However, the Saints tied the score at 2-2 on a solo home run by Kaelin Farrington in the sixth inning and won the game on a one-out RBI single by Laura Voyles in the bottom of the last inning.
Senior Allie Aleman had two hits for FMU in game two. Krista Bess was the lone Saint to register two hits in the second contest.
Francis Marion will play its final regular-season contests on Saturday with a 2 p.m. PBC doubleheader at Armstrong Atlantic State University.
