FLORENCE, S.C. (April 16) – Facing a nationally-ranked opponent on Tuesday afternoon, the University of Mount Olive softball team suffered a pair of losses in a doubleheader at No. 24 Francis Marion in Conference Carolinas action.
With the losses, the Trojans drop to 34-13 overall behind a 15-7 mark in conference play. Francis Marion takes three of the four contests in the series this season with a pair of games decided by one run. Meanwhile, the Patriots improve to 39-10 this season with an 18-4 record in league action.
In Game 1, senior
Hannah Killough eclipsed the all-time strikeouts record with 562 in her career at Mount Olive. She surpasses UMO Hall of Famer Michelle Matthews, who held the mark with 560 for over two decades. Killough ultimately suffered the loss (11-7) after surrendering three earned runs on six hits with four strikeouts and four walks in 4.0 innings.
Sophomore
Bri Verme tossed 2.0 innings of scoreless relief with zero runs on two hits while facing nine batters.
Francis Marion established a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning off a two-run double to center before extending the lead with a sacrifice fly in the third, 3-0. In the top of the seventh, freshman
Laci Best delivered a leadoff double to right-center before senior
Kylie Emanuele launched her league-leading 19th homer of the season, to trim the deficit to 3-2. With one out, sophomore
Emily Cassidy produced a double to left field but was stranded in scoring to end the game.
In Game 2, Emanuele registered an RBI double to right-center to the top of the first before Cassidy recorded a sacrifice fly to right field, 2-0. The Patriots countered with five runs on four hits in the bottom half of the frame to take a 5-2 edge. In the top of the second, UMO tied the contest at 5-5 after senior
Emma Mooney delivered a bunt single with two runners on before a throwing error allowed everyone to score.
Francis Marion regained the lead at 7-5 in the bottom of the second before the sides went scoreless over the next two frames. Cassidy cut into the deficit with a solo homer in the top of the fifth, her eighth of the season, to trail 7-6. Mount Olive countered with three runs on four hits in the bottom of the fifth to stretch the lead to 10-6. Senior
Adrianna Efird provided one last spark for UMO with a pinch-hit two-run homer in the center field in the sixth, but FMU tallied two additional runs in the bottom half to seal the victory, 12-8.
Junior
Callie Thornton was saddled with the loss (15-3) after yielding 10 runs (eight earned) on 12 hits with two strikeouts and two walks in 4.1 innings (97 pitches).
Mount Olive closes out Conference Carolinas play on Saturday, April 20, when it travels to face UNC Pembroke for a doubleheader at noon.
