FLORENCE, S.C. - The Newberry College softball team was swept for the second time this season, as the Lady Indians (12-11-1) dropped a pair of decisions to the Lady Patriots of Francis Marion University (17-5), 6-5 and 12-1.

Game One: Francis Marion 6, Newberry 5
The Lady Indians smashed three homeruns in the first game of the day, but FMU's Michaela Wolf singled home the winning run in the bottom of the seventh.

Newberry opened the scoring in the top of the first, when senior shortstop Courtney Lindler (Irmo, S.C.) blasted her fifth homerun of the season over the fence in left-centerfield.

The Lady Patriots answered with an unearned run in the bottom of the inning, but freshman outfielder Jessica Reid (Walhalla, S.C.) hit a two-run homerun to left field in the top of the second. Reid's first career bomb gave the Lady Indians a 3-1 advantage.

FMU narrowed the deficit to 3-2 in the bottom of the second, and jumped out to a 5-3 advantage in the bottom of the fifth with a solo shot by Jenna Sexton and RBIs from Monica Wofford and Wolf.

But Newberry brought the game to a deadlock in the top of the sixth. Lindler led off with a single to centerfield and stole second base. After two Lady Indians struck out, sophomore second baseman Kat Hammond tied the game up with her third homerun of the year.

However, the Lady Patriots manufactured the run in the bottom of the seventh to grab the victory. Janine Allen singled to left and reached third on two straight sacrifice plays. Wolf ended the game with the RBI single to left.

Stephanie Monette (4-6, Conway, S.C.) picked up the loss for Newberry, giving up six runs - five earned - on 11 hits in 6-1/3 innings.

Lindler went 3-of-3 and was a triple short of the cycle, earning one RBI and two runs.

Game Two: Francis Marion 12, Newberry 1 (5 innings)
The Lady Indians gave up two five-run innings in their first run-rule loss of the season.

Christina Kirby (7-4, Delmar, Del.) gave up nine runs on eight hits in 3-1/3 innings, although only two runs were earned.

FMU scored seven runs in the first three innings, all set up by fielding errors, and converted on extra base hits.

Newberry scored its only run of the game in the top of the third, when Ginna Dean (Willow Springs, N.C.) scored on a throwing error by the catcher.

But the Lady Patriots sent 11 batters to the plate in the bottom of the fourth, scoring five runs and taking the 12-1 lead.

The Lady Indians went down in order in the top of the fifth to end the game.

Newberry returns to Florence on Friday through Sunday to participate in the Patriot Invitational Tournament at the Freedom Florence Softball Complex.

The Lady Indians' first game at the Invitational is at 4 p.m. Friday, as they take on Kutztown (Pa.) University. Newberry is slated for three games Saturday and two games Sunday.

Game Two:
Francis Marion Univ. 12, Newberry College 1 (5 innings)

  ------------------------------------------------------------
  Newberry College.... 001 00 -  1  3  3      (12-11-1)
  Francis Marion Univ. 205 5X - 12  9  3      (17-5)
  ------------------------------------------------------------
  Pitchers: Newberry College - Kirby; Hicks(4); Monette(4).
  Francis Marion Univ. - Johnson; Lim(5).
  Win-Johnson(3-1)  Loss-Kirby(7-4)  T-1:30  A-0
  HR FMU - Aleman 2 (8)