No. 13 USC Aiken Claims One Over Francis Marion
AIKEN, S.C. - The No. 13 USC Aiken softball team split their
home Peach Belt Conference twinbill with the visiting Patriots of
Francis Marion University at J.H. Satcher Field Sunday afternoon.
The Patriots took the first game 5-2 while the Pacers claimed the
victory in the second game 8-0.
Francis Marion improves to 11-5 overall and 3-3 in conference play
for the 2010 campaign. The Pacers improve to 10-4 overall and 4-2
in conference play.
In the first game senior Nikki Sidaway (Wiley Ford, Va./Potomac
State) led the Pacers from the plate going 2-for-2 including a home
run.
The Patriots struck first in the top of the first inning. Kat
Beauvais scored off a Ashley Jaramillo strike up the middle to put
Francis Marion on the board first.
In the bottom of the second inning the Pacers took the lead with
two runs off four hits. Freshman designated player Kelley King
(Chesterfield, S.C./Chesterfield) started the Pacers' scoring drive
with a double to left field.
The speedy King scored from second when Nicole Borden
(Jacksonville, Fla./Bolles School) hit a single up the middle to
center field. After the Patriots recorded a double play to empty
the bases, Sidaway stepped to the plate and knocked a ball deep
over the left field fence to put the Pacers up 2-1.
After three scoreless innings, the Patriots were able to move ahead
in the top of the sixth inning, scoring four runs off three hits
and two Pacer fielding errors. Beauvais, Chelle Phillips, Jessica
Birchmeier and and Jaramillo all crossed the dish to put Francis
Marion up for good at 5-2.
Kathleen Nichols suffered the loss in the circle for the Pacers.
She drops to 0-2 on the season.
The Pacers started the second game off hot sending all nine batters
to the plate in the bottom of the first inning and scoring six back
across the dish on three hits and one error by the Patriot
defense.
Brandy Bossle (North East, Md./Rising Sun) and Toni Flessate (Goose
Creek, S.C./Stratford) led the Pacers going 1-for-1 with one run
each. Flessate added three RBIs and Bossle adding two of her
own.
The Pacer charge started when the Patriot pitching staff put both
Lindsey Jones (North Augusta, S.C./North Augusta) and Whitney Clary
(Newberry, S.C./Newberry HS) on base. Junior Lauren Locklear
(Charleston, S.C./Wando) then stepped to the plate and drove a
double deep into center field to score Jones from second and
advance Clary to third.
Flessate then hit a sacrifice hit up the right field foul line,
scoring both Clary and Locklear all the way from second putting the
Pacers up 3-0. Francis Marion hurler Knox then put Blair Warren
(Darlington, S.C./Florence-Darlington Tech) on first advancing
Flessate to second.
Sophomore backstop Kaylah Hall (Jacksonville, Fla./Edward H. White)
hit a grounder to the third baseman and was thrown out at first
while Warren advanced to second and Flessate moved over to third
base. Sidaway then loaded the bases when she reached first on an
error by the Francis Marion backstop.
Freshman Haley Justice (North Augusta, S.C./Midland Valley) then
stepped to the plate and scored Flessate and moved Sidaway to
second and Warren to third on a ground out to the second baseman.
Bossle then sent a single to left-center field to score
Warren and Sidaway putting the Pacers up 6-0.
Then in the fourth inning the Pacers put the game well out of reach
of the Patriots led by Bossle. Bossle reached base when she was
walked by Francis Marion pitcher Cea Knox and promptly stole second
base.
Jones also reached base, this time on an error by the Francis
Marion defense when the second baseman mishandled a hard strike
from Jones' bat. Clary was then thrown out when she laid down a
sacrifice bunt to move Jones and Bossle into scoring position.
Bossle then scored off a throwing error by Francis Marion's first
baseman and Jones advanced to third when Locklear hit a chip shot
to first base and reached on a fielder's choice to put the Pacers
up at 7-0. Flessate then laid down a sacrifice hit to score Jones
and put the game away at 8-0.
Sophomore pitcher Lauren Rickabaugh (North Augusta, S.C./North
Augusta) did her part to help the Pacers claim the win for USC
Aiken by fanning six batters. She improves her record to 6-1 on the
season.
Knox recorded both the win and the loss for Francis Marion. She
improves to 3-1 on the 2010 season.
The Pacers will continue their 12 game home stretch with a
non-conference double header at J.H. Satcher Field by hosting
Brevard Wednesday, Mar. 3. The first pitch of the first game is
scheduled to leave the circle at 2 p.m. with the second game to
follow at around 4 p.m.
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