By: Story from Francis Marion Athletic Communications
FLORENCE, S.C. – Senior southpaw Alyssa Poston pitched a seven-hitter and senior second baseman Maddy Golka was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded as second-seeded and eighth-ranked Francis Marion University claimed a 2-1 win over seventh-seeded Carson-Newman University, Thursday afternoon (May 14) in the opening round of the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Softball Tournament.
Francis Marion improves to 45-11 and advances to play third-seeded and 15th-ranked Lenoir-Rhyne University on Friday at 1 p.m. LRU defeated sixth-seeded Anderson University 2-1 in the other opening-round contest. Anderson and Carson-Newman will square off in an elimination game on Friday at 4 p.m., with a second elimination game set for 7 p.m.
Admission to FMU's Griffin Athletic Complex is $10.
Poston (15-2) allowed seven singles, while fanning four and walking no one. She needed only 89 pitches to register her 13th complete game of the season.
Senior shortstop Madalyn White and junior designated player McKenzie Jewell led the Patriots at the plate with a pair of hits each. White also established a new program record for games played with her 220th appearance in the red, white, and blue.
Carson-Newman freshman right-hander Atiana Stamper (16-5) took the loss despite also only allowing seven hits.
FMU took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. White hit the second pitch she saw for a ringing triple to the right-center field wall. Senior left fielder Anderson Thrower followed with a slap single to third base. When the late throw to first was wild, White scampered home with the first run.
The Patriots left the bases loaded in the second, and Jewell was stranded at second after a one-out double in the third.
The Eagles knotted the score at 1-1 in the top of the fourth on an RBI-single to left field by senior center fielder Abbi Martin. Poston got the next batter to fly out and that stranded three runners on base.
After Poston stranded a runner at third in the top of the fifth, Francis Marion pushed across the game-winning run in the bottom half of the frame. Graduate student first baseman Jenna Walling reached on an infield single and Jewell blasted a double off the right field wall to put two runners in scoring position.
Graduate student third baseman Rylie Webster was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out. Golka was then plunked by a 1-1 pitch from Stamper to force in the eventual winning run. Stamper did retire the next two batters to keep it a one-run margin.
Poston retired nine of the final 10 batters she faced to seal the victory.
Walling extended her streak of safely reaching base to 12 contests, while Poston posted her 71st career win as a Patriot in 81 decisions.