Patriots just "stayin' alive" at PBC Softball Tournament; Rally for two BIG wins

FLORENCE, SC - Junior left-hander Michael Wolf pitched a pair of five-hit complete games and the Francis Marion University offense awoke from an eight-inning drought to capture two wins and stay alive at the 2009 Peach Belt Conference Softball Tournament on Saturday (April 18).

Seventh-seeded Francis Marion twice staved off elimination with a 6-2 win over fourth-seeded Armstrong Atlantic State University and a 3-1 victory over fifth-seeded Augusta State University.

Earlier in the day, senior catcher Jessica Strickland laced an 0-2 pitch into right center field to score Kellie Hair from second base and give third-seeded and 18th-ranked USC Aiken to a 2-1 win over FMU in a winners’ bracket game.

Francis Marion improves to 32-18 and will face USCA at noon in the championship contest of the losers’ bracket. The winner of that game will face top-seeded and second-ranked North Georgia College & State College in the championship game at 2:30 p.m.

Against ASU, Wolf (20-10) allowed only a first-inning RBI single to Kacee Camp before silencing the Jaguars on only three hits over the final six frames. She becomes the only FMU hurler to ever post three 20-win seasons.

FMU took the lead in the second when Tamela Bell scored on a wild pitch and Kat Beauvais delivered an RBI single in her first at bat after returning from a broken bone in her left hand that had kept her only playing the field for the past month. FMU and Wolf avoided trouble in the third frame with a shortstop to catcher to third base inning-ending double play.

Senior centerfielder Lakyn Bendle provided an insurance run in the fifth with an RBI triple that scored Stevie Arrand.

In the win over AASU, Ashley Bain hit a solo homer in the second inning to put the Pirates on top 1-0. Bell tied the score with a solo homer in the fourth. Wolf put the Patriots ahead with her own solo shot in the fifth, and senior catcher Kayla Ruede hit a grand slam later in the frame to put FMU up 6-1.

In the loss to USCA, FMU’s second batter in the top of the first was Bendle and she hit a solo homer over the left center field fence for a 1-0 Patriot advantage. Later in the inning, FMU would leave runners at first and third base. Francis Marion would not get a runner past first base after the first frame.

USCA junior righty Toni Flessate (17-5) limited the Patriots to only four hits, while striking out three and walking no one. Wolf allowed seven hits, struck out nine, and issued no walks.

The Pacers tied the game in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI single up the middle by Strickland. The game would remain knotted until Strickland’s hit in the last inning.