FLORENCE, S.C. – Flagler College headed up to the Patriots Invitational and took on No. 23 (NFCA Division II Top 25) Kutztown University and grabbed its first win of the season with a run-rule game, in six innings, with a 10-0 win. The Saints then beat No. 6 Francis Marion University 9-3. This is the first time Flagler defeated two different ranked teams in the same day.
Kutztown went 0-2 the first day of the tournament, making them 3-3. Francis Marion ended the day 1-1 with an overall record of 11-3. Flagler finished the day 2-0 and 2-8 on the season. The Saints will play Kutztown again tomorrow at 3 p.m. and Francis Marion right after.
Against Kutztown, the Saints broke through and had 12 hits. Starting out hot in the first inning,
Emily Ricci doubled down the left field line, where
Olivia Burns singled with a bunt and advanced to second on a throwing error, scoring Ricci.
Kiley McQuillan singled to third and scored Burns, making the score 2-0.
In the third inning
Hannah Smith doubled down the right field line and scored from a single to right field by McQuillan, making it 3-0.
At the top of the fourth, Flagler strung together five consecutive two-out singles.
Ryleigh Hall got the first one, while
Mia Fisher followed with a walk, and Ricci singled to center to plate Hall. Burns singled to shortstop and scored Fisher. Burns and Ricci executed a double steal, with Ricci swiping home plate. Smith singled up the middle, scoring Burns to give the Saints a 7-0 lead.
In the last inning, the Saints loaded the bases with two walks and a hit batter. McQuillan followed with a single up the middle that scored two more runs. A sacrifice fly to right field gave the Saints a 10-0 lead. She finished the game with three singles and four runs batted in.
Riley Rowe (1-4) earned her first win as a Saint. She tossed a six-hit shutout and retired nine batters on fly-outs and eight more on ground-outs.
Ricci went 2-for-3 with a double, three runs scored, and one more driven in. Burns had two singles, scored three runs, and had one RBI.
Amanda Slabicki (0-1) took the loss for the Bears. She pitched 3.2 innings, gave up eight hits, and five of the six runs given up were earned. She walked one and struck one batter out.
Samantha Paetow collected three singles for Kutztown.
Trailing 3-1 going into the top of the fifth inning, the Saints took advantage of some wildness by the Patriot pitcher. Two walks and a single, including a wild pitch, loaded the bases with one out. A wild pitch scored a run, and back-to-back bases-loaded walks by two different Francis Marion pitchers gave Flagler a 4-3 lead.
The Saints added five more runs in the seventh for insurance. Ricci smashed a grand slam over the left field wall to blow the game wide open to make the score 9-3.
Ava Matthews (1-2) received her first win as a Saint as she tossed four scoreless innings, allowed one hit, and retired nine of the last 11 batters she faced.
Daly collected three singles, scored a run, and drove in another.
Jenna Walling (7-2) took the loss for the Patriots. She allowed four runs on four hits in 4.1 innings of work. Walling struck out seven batters and walked five.
Rylie Webster finished 2-for-2 with a solo home run and two RBI. Walling helped out her cause with a pair of doubles.
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