Softball falls in both ends of DH with #9 Francis Marion

Salisbury, N.C. —- The Catawba College softball team hosted one of the top-ranked softball teams in the Southeast region on Saturday at Whitley Field in 9th-ranked Francis Marion and fell in both ends of the doubleheader.

GAME ONE | Francis Marion 11, Catawba 1

TEAM STATISTICS

- Francis Marion out-hit Catawba 10-3

- The Catawba Indians had two of three extra-base hits; both teams homered

- Catawba suffered four of five errors in the contest

- The Patriots left nine runners on base; Catawba stranded four

- FMU had the lone stolen base in the game

- Francis Marion's pitchers allowed a run on three hits, striking out four; Catawba's staff allowed eight earned runs on 10 hits and six walks, striking out three

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

- Jordan McCorkle homered in a pinch-hit at-bat

- Bella Boykin provided 1.2 innings of shutout relief in the circle

- Micaela Hartman doubled

HOW IT HAPPENED

FIRST INNING

- FMU's Kendal Miller got the scoring started with an RBI base hit through the left side

- A two-out error proved costly, allowing the Patriots to score two more runs to take an early 3-0 lead

SECOND INNING

- Another Catawba error allowed Francis Marion to tack on a run in the second

THIRD INNING

- FMU made it a 5-0 advantage after a leadoff homer in the third

FOURTH INNING

- Two singles and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases with nobody out for the Patriots in the fourth

- A bases-loaded walk, two two-RBI singles and a sac fly pushed the Francis Marion lead to 11-0

FIFTH INNING

- In a one-out pinch-hit at-bat, McCorkle lifted a solo homer to center field to end the shutout bid

GAME TWO | Francis Marion 6, Catawba 2

TEAM STATISTICS

- Francis Marion out-hit Catawba 6-5

- The Patriots recorded three of five extra-base hits; Catawba had both homers

- The Catawba Indians committed three errors in game two

- FMU left five runners on base; Catawba stranded four

- Francis Marion recorded the lone stolen base

- Both starters went the distance, as Catawba allowed four earned runs on five hits and five walks with four strikeouts; FMU's starter allowed two runs on four hits and two walks with eight strikeouts

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

- Brianna Gallagher homered twice to push her season total to eight

HOW IT HAPPENED

THIRD INNING

- A two-out walk allowed the third inning to continue for Francis Marion and a two-out RBI double broke the scoreless tie

FOURTH INNING

- Gallagher's one-out solo homer in the fourth was Catawba's first base hit of game two

FIFTH INNING

- A throwing error on a delayed tag attempt allowed FMU's go-ahead run to score in the fifth

SIXTH INNING

- FMU added insurance with an RBI double in the sixth, which preceded a walk to loaded the bases with still nobody out

- Two runs scored on an error and a sac fly gave the Patriots the 6-1 lead

- Gallagher added another opposite-field solo homer in the bottom half

UP NEXT

- Catawba opens up South Atlantic Conference play on Tuesday, traveling to Limestone for a doubleheader with first pitches starting at 2 and 4 p.m.