PEMBROKE, NC – Senior first baseman Monica Wofford hit a two-run double and sophomore left-hander Michaela Wolf tossed a four-hit shutout as Francis Marion University blanked North Georgia College & State University 3-0, Saturday afternoon (May 10) in the “First” championship game of the NCAA Division II Women’s Softball South Atlantic Regional.

The fifth-seeded Patriots (37-14) handed the sixth-seeded Saints (38-14) their first loss of the double-elimination tournament and the two squads will play a second and final championship contest at 8 p.m. Saturday night. The regional is being played at LRA Field on the campus of UNC Pembroke.

Wofford two-run double down the left field line in the fifth inning broke the scoreless tie.  She nearly gave Francis Marion a 3-0 advantage moments later but was tagged out after the umpire ruled that she didn’t touch home plate on Wolf’s single to center field.

Wolf (27-11) did not allow a hit until the top of the sixth inning.  In that frame, Laura Voyles and Kasey Knight rapped out a pair of seeing-eye singles through the middle with two outs.  However, Wolf struck out the Saints’ homerun leader Tiffany Blackburn on a 2-2 pitch.

The Patriots did tack on a third run in the sixth inning without the benefit of a hit as the Saints committed three errors.  Allie Aleman scored on a bases-loaded grounder off the bat of Nicole Reuter when the throw home to the catcher was low. 

In the top of the seventh, North Georgia’s Courtney McGuire led off with a single.  Leslee Smith then hit a sharp grounder off the third baseman’s glove that deflected to the shortstop whose throw to first was low and got by Wofford.  McGuire then advanced to third and Smith tried to make second but was tagged by Aleman, who stopped a low throw from Wofford..  After Stephanie Farmakis legged out an infield single to put runners on the corners with one out, Wolf retired the next two batters on a pop up and ground out.

Wolf struck out five and did not walk a batter in a game that lasted only 1:23.  Saints righty Sarah Phillips (20-8) allowed only six hits, but fanned only one FMU batter.

FMU shortstop Shannan Tyson was the only player with two hits.

“This squad has used the same formula all tournament,” said FMU head coach Stacey Vallee.  “We try to play good defense and get a timely hit.  Monica (Wofford) again stepped up with the big hit, while Michaela (Wolf) was outstanding on the mound.  Nicole (Reuter) had several big at bats and made a nice running catch in left near the fence on Blackburn’s drive in the fourth.”