Patriots split softball DH with 13th-ranked Pacers

AIKEN, SC - A late rally in game one allowed Francis Marion University to gain a 5-2 victory and the Patriots went on to split a Peach Belt Conference softball doubleheader with 13th-ranked USC Aiken on Sunday afternoon (Feb. 28).  The Pacers won the second contest 8-0 in five innings.

Francis Marion moves to 11-5 overall and 3-3 in the Peach Belt, while USCA is 10-4, 4-2.   The Patriots will play host to Wingate University on Wednesday at 1 p.m.

In the opener, FMU trailed 2-1 entering the sixth inning. The Patriots rallied with two outs to score four times.  Chelle Phillips and Tristan Faile delivered run-scoring singles, while Ashley Jaramillo rapped out an RBI-double and a fourth run scored on a Pacer error.

Jaramillo also had a run-scoring single in the first frame and finished the game 2-for-4.  Faile was 3-for-4, while third baseman Kat Beauvais was 2-for-3 and outfielder Destinea Schneider was 2-for-4. 

Junior right-hander Cea Knox improved to 3-0 as she allowed only two runs on nine hits.  Kathleen Nichols (0-2) suffered the loss in the circle for the Pacers.

In the second game, the Pacers sent nine batters to the plate in the bottom of the first inning and scored six runs on three hits, two walks, a hit batter, and one error.

Knox (3-1) pitched a complete game for FMU.

Brandy Bossle (1-for-1 with two RBIs) and Toni Flessate (1-for-1 with 3 RBIs) led the Pacers.   Sophomore pitcher Lauren Rickabaugh (6-1) limited Francis Marion to three singles (Phillips, Jessica Birchmeier, Jessica Hogan) in game two.