Francis Marion, King Drop 2023 Southeast Regional Openers
WINGATE, N.C./DAHLONEGA, Ga. - The 2023 NCAA Division II Softball Regionals got underway on Thursday and Francis Marion and King both dropped their first games of the Southeast Regional.
Francis Marion, the seven seed playing in Southeast Regional No. 2, lost in a pitchers’ duel, 2-0, to regional host and No. 2 seed Wingate while King, the eighth seed, fell to top-seed and host of Southeast Regional No. 1, North Georgia, 8-0.
Rachel Davis (18-9) took a tough-luck loss for the Patriots as she allowed two runs on six hits with two walks over six innings. In the fourth inning the Bulldogs loaded the bases with one out and a single to right field scored two runs to give the home team the win. Francis Marion collected one hit against Wingate ace Raechel Cutcher (14-7) as Makayla Cutherbertson broke up a perfect game to leadoff the seventh inning.
Francis Marion will face sixth-seeded Carson-Newman, who lost to three-seed Lenoir-Rhyne, 6-1, at 1 p.m. on Friday, May 12. The winner will face the loser of Wingate/Lenoir-Rhyne at 3:30 p.m.
In Dahlonega, Georgia, King’s offense tallied two hits against the Nighthawks ace Kristen Davis (16-1) while North Georgia posted 11 hits and scored in the first, second, fifth and sixth innings. Jessica Campbell led King with a 2-for-3 day while Madison Walter (14-6) took the loss for Tornado as she allowed six runs on nine hits over five innings with four walks and two strikeouts.
King will face No. 5 seed Lincoln Memorial, who lost 3-1 to Columbus State, on Friday at 2:30 p.m. with the winner to face the loser of North Georgia and No. 4 seed Columbus State at 5 p.m.
Fans can read the Francis Marion release here and the King release is available
here.
2023 NCAA Division II Southeast Region #1 Schedule
REGIONAL WEBSITE | TICKETS
Thursday May 11
Game 1: #1 North Georgia def. #8 King, 8-0 (Box Score)
Game 2: #4 Columbus State def. #5 Lincoln Memorial, 3-1
Friday May 12
Game 3: #1 North Georgia vs. #4 Columbus State, 12 p.m.
Game 4: #8 King vs. #5 Lincoln Memorial, 2:30 p.m.
Game 5: Loser of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4, 5 p.m.
Saturday May 13
Game 6: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 5, 12 p.m.
Game 7: Winner of Game 6 vs. Loser of Game 6 (If Necessary), 2 p.m.
2023 NCAA Division II Southeast Region #2 Schedule
REGIONAL WEBSITE | TICKETS
Thursday, May 11 (Wingate, N.C.)
Game 1: #2 Wingate def. #7 Francis Marion, 2-0 (Box Score)
Game 2: #3 Lenoir-Rhyne def. #6 Carson-Newman, 6-1
Friday, May 12 (Wingate, N.C.)
Game 3: #2 Wingate vs. #3 Lenoir-Rhyne, 10:30 a.m.
Game 4: #7 Francis Marion vs. #6 Carson-Newman, 1 p.m.
Game 5: Loser of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4, 3:30 pm.
Saturday, May 13 (Wingate, N.C.)
Game 6: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 5, 1 p.m.
Game 7: Winner of Game 6 vs. Loser of Game 6 (If Necessary), 3:30 p.m.