FLORENCE, S.C. — Sunday's Peach Belt Conference softball doubleheader between Flagler College and Francis Marion University was quite the nail-biter. The visiting Saints rattled off 29 hits while the Patriots had 18 in the twin bill split, where Flagler won in extras in game one by a score of 10-4 and Francis Marion took the second on a walk-off hit, 7-6, at the FMU Softball Stadium.
Flagler (11-13, 5-5 PBC) now turns its attention to UNC Pembroke for a doubleheader, beginning at noon in Pembroke, North Carolina, Monday.
Of the Saints' 29 hits, 18 came in the first game that extended all the way to the 10th inning and saw a seven-run frame propel them to the victory. Heading into the seventh inning down a run,
Mercedes Salinas was responsible for sending it to extras after she shot a single into the gap to score
NaJah Gerrald, who began the inning with one of her four hits. The run put it at 3-all as
Kyra Gipson (W, 9-4) went the distance in the circle and tossed six straight scoreless innings, after allowing three runs over the first three frames. She only surrendered eight hits over 10 frames and 170 pitches, as well.
The senior saw a run cross in the 10th, but that was after her offense broke it wide open with a seven-run frame to seal the win.
Paige Maseda plated
Alyssa Velez for the go-ahead run, and then
Bella Munoz smacked one up the middle to score
Kirsty Granville for what proved to be the game-winning run as five more followed for cushion versus reliever Janecia Hemingway (L, 0-5).
Mackenzie Smith, who had a team-high and career-high five hits, batted in the Saints' first run as
Morgan Murphy scored on the double, after reaching on a fielder's choice ball. In the next at-bat, Velez sent one of her three hits through to bring Smith around, cutting the deficit to one. Joining Smith, Gerrald and Velez with multi hits was Salinas and Munoz as
Kyleigh Taylor also recorded a hit alongside Maseda.
In the second game, Flagler's bats produced another multi-hit performance as 11 more were knocked across, but the Saints left seven on base, which was costly in the end. The Patriots (9-11, 5-3) jumped on top with a pair of runs in the first inning, and then Flagler promptly answered with a big-run inning in the third. Salinas took her efforts from game one and tied it together, sending a two-run single up the middle to score Gerrald (single) and
Alexis Ridgell (walk) to knot the score at 2. Two batters later, Murphy cleared the bases with a grand slam — her fourth homer of the season — to left field to score Munoz, Salinas, and Smith, who all singled to get on base.
After Flagler erupted in that inning, FMU replaced Taylor Florea in the circle with Rachel Davis (W, 5-2) and she able to cool down the bats as the Saints had just four more hits the rest of the way. Meanwhile, the Patriots chipped away at the lead — having a run(s) every inning in three straight innings — against
Madelyn Wise to knot the score at 6-all through five.
Mallorie Sykes (L, 0-2) tossed a scoreless sixth frame, but got in trouble in the seventh as the Patriots used a one-out, sacrifice fly for the walk-off victory.
Munoz led the Saints with three hits and Smith had two more, while Gerrald, Salinas, Murphy, Velez, Granville and Maseda had a hit apiece. In Ridgell's first collegiate start at catcher, she had a walk and run scored.
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