By: Story from Francis Marion Athletic Communications
DAHLONEGA, Ga. – Third baseman Journey Roberts hit a two-out, three-run triple in the bottom of the sixth inning to propel top-seeded and third-ranked University of North Georgia to a 6-5 win over second-seeded and eighth-ranked Francis Marion University, Thursday afternoon (May 21) in the opening game of the NCAA Division II Southeast Super Regional Softball Tournament.
Francis Marion (47-12) and UNG (50-9) will play game two of the best two-out-of-three format on Friday at 10 a.m. That time was moved up two hours due to impending rainy weather. If needed, game three would follow approximately 30 minutes after game two ends.
Graduate student third baseman Riley Webster led FMU at the plate with three hits, including a double, and three runs batted in. Senior shortstop Madalyn White and senior left fielder Anderson Thrower had two hits apiece and scored one run each.
Graduate student right-hander Jenna Walling (27-8) was tagged with the loss. She surrendered the six runs on eight hits.
North Georgia righty Caroline Connor (13-1) earned the win with 2.2 innings of scoreless relief.
Francis Marion took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. White led off with a single through the left side and went to second on a sacrifice bunt. White has reached base safely in 47 of 49 games this season. After junior designated player McKenzie Jewell was hit by a pitch, Webster stroked a run-scoring double to center field.
The Nighthawks countered with a run in the bottom of the frame and left the bases loaded.
With a runner on third and two outs in the top of the second, UNG left fielder Kaitlyn Johnson robbed White of extra bases and an RBI with a sliding catch in the left-center field gap.
FMU retook the lead in the third when Thrower led off with a double, went to third on a sacrifice bunt, and scored on Jewell's sacrifice fly. However, North Georgia scored twice in the bottom of the inning on a solo homer by first baseman Marycille Brumby and a bases-loaded walk.
The Patriot retied the contest at 3-3 in their next at bat when senior second baseman Maddy Golka doubled, went to third on a sacrifice bunt, and scored on an RBI-ground out by senior right fielder Paige Strickland.
The score remained deadlocked until the top of the fifth when White singled and went to second on a sacrifice bunt. Walling walked and Jewell was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out. It is the 21st time Jewell has been plunked this season, one shy of the program record.
Webster then drilled a two-run double to right field to give the Patriots a 5-3 advantage and chase UNG starter Chloe Poss from the circle. Connor entered the contest and fanned the next to batters to strand runners on second and third.
In the bottom of the sixth, Walling retired the first two batters on two pitches. A base on ball, a double, and another walk preceded Roberts' game-winning hit.
In the top of the seventh, Webster reached on a one-out single bringing the tying run to the plate, but Connor retired the next two batters on hard-hit balls – one to the left field warning track – to end the game.
Walling extended her streak of safely reaching base to 15 games and Golka extended her hitting streak to eight games.