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FMU'S BASES LOADED WALK PROPELS PATRIOTS TO TITLE GAME
Box Score
DAHLONEGA, GA – Fourth seeded Francis
Marion University needed a late rally to stay alive at the NCAA
Division II Southeast Dahlonega Regional Sunday afternoon at Haines
& Carolyn Hill Stadium.
The Patriots (37-14) trailed 4-2 heading into the bottom of the
sixth inning but scored a pair of runs in the inning and then added
on in the seventh to get past Carson Newman 5-4.
The Patriots will take on top-ranked North Georgia College at 6:35
in the championship round. A by the NGC will give the Saints the
regional title and earn them a spot in the NCAA Super Regionals
next weekend. If the Patriots win, it will force a second game,
which will be played Sunday evening.
The game between FMU and Carson Newman was interrupted three times
because of the weather, including one delay that lasted for more
than an hour. But the Patriots found a way to win to stay alive and
keep their regional title hopes breathing.
FMU’s Jessica Birchmeier carried her team in the must-win
game, hitting a pair of two run home runs, including a blast to
right-center in the bottom of the sixth inning to tie things up at
4-4.
After Michaela Wolf got the Eagles out in order in the top of the
seventh, the Patriots found a way to push across the winning run in
the bottom of the inning. Kat Beauvais started things with a
single. Two outs later, Wolf singled and Birchmeier walked to load
the bases. Cea Knox worked the count and managed to draw a walk to
force home Ashley Jaramillo, who had reached on fielder’s
choice earlier in the inning.
Carson Newman had a couple of opportunities to take control of the
game in the first two innings but could not push a run. The Eagles
loaded the bases in the first inning and had runners at second and
third in the second, but Wolf managed to work her way out of
trouble both times.
Carson Newman grabbed the lead in the fourth inning, thanks to a
walk, an error and a sacrifice fly. Ashley Boyd led off the inning
with a walk. Amber Hewitt, who pinch ran for Boyd, advanced to
second on an error and third on a sacrifice bunt. Ay Lawrence took
a 0-2 offering from Wolf and delivered a deep fly ball, scoring
Hewitt.
The Patriots answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the
frame. After Wolf singled to center, Birchmeier blasted the first
of her two home runs over the fence just to the right of the
220-foot in straight away center field.
The Eagles reclaimed the lead in the top of the fifth, taking
advantage of four errors by the Patriots. The Patriots competed a
pair of errors on one play, allowing pinch runner Kim Whaley to
score to make it 2-2. Later in the inning, following another error
and a hit by Whitney Kee, Jessie Howard drove in a run with a
single to left to give the Eagles a 3-2 lead. Kee scored the final
run of the inning on a wild pitch by Wolf.
Birchmeier’s big game ended with two hits, two run and four
RBI, while Beauvais and Wolf each had two hits, and Jessica Hogan
and Destinea Schneider each added one.
Wolf (22-9) tossed a complete game, allowing two earned runs on
nine hits and a pair of walks while striking out six.
Mary Shealy took the loss, dropping to 16-7 on the year. Shealy
pitched 6.2 innings, allowing five runs on eight hits and five
walks, while striking out two.
Howard had two of the Eagles’ nine hits and also drove in a
run. Cassidy Skeen, Bri Shoemake, Sara Little, Whitney Durham, Leah
Price and Kee all had one hit for the Eagles, who finished the year
with a 37-12 record.
