FMU blanks Lander 6-0 in PBC Tournament

Junior left-hander Michael Wolf and freshman righty Lauren Bubeck combined on a three-hitter as seventh-seeded Francis Marion University blanked 10th-seeded Lander University 6-0, Friday afternoon (April 17) in an opening-round game of the 2009 Peach Belt Conference Softball Tournament.

The Patriots (29-17) advance to face second-seeded Georgia College & State University (30-20) on Friday afternoon at 1:30 p.m.  Lander falls to 13-30 and drops into the loser's bracket where the Lady Bobcats will face the USCA/Columbus State loser on Friday at 4 p.m.

Wolf (17-9) pitched six scoreless innings, allowing only two hits while striking out four.  She did hit three Lady Bobcat batters in the first three innings.  Bubeck pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Freshman right-hander Hayley Leissner (8-22) took the loss despite setting a new season-single season strikeout mark for Lander with 183.

Lander left the bases loaded in the second and third innings and stranded two runners in the fourth.

Francis Marion took a 1-0 lead in the fourth when Jessica Birchmeier led off with a double, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Tamela Bell, and scored on a sacrifice fly by freshman Ashley Jaramillo.

The Patriots plated two runs in the fifth on a two-run single up the middle by senior center fielder Lakyn Bendle. In the sixth, the advantage moved to 6-0 on an RBI double by Stevie Arrand and a two-run single by Shannan Tyson.

Jaramillo and senior designated player Laura Hauff both had two hits for FMU.

Carrie Hudson, Lindsey Sammons, and Daisy Stewart had the three hits for Lander.