Peach Belt Softball Tournament

So I had never photographed softball in my life never the less watch an entire game. Well this past weekend I was treated to four heart wrenching, dramatic, and exciting games that I will never forget. Francis Marion University was in the loser's bracket after a loss early in the Peach Belt Tourney on Friday, so on Saturday they had to keep winning to stay alive. Their first game was a blowout and they slaughter ruled USC Aiken in 5 innings. Their next game was against #1 seed UNC Pembroke who had only lost one game all season but had lost earlier in the day so a second loss would knock them out of the tourney. UNC scored 2 runs in the 2nd inning so FMU would be playing catch up all day and it seemed like for the rest of the tourney. Pitcher Michaela Wolf hit a 2 run homer in the fourth so FMU had tied it up. Then in the eighth inning FMU broke through and started to get some base runners. Michaela came up again and popped up to their back-pedaling second baseman who miss played it and the ball tipped off her glove, as that happened the CF dove in and thought she caught the deflection but it was ruled a trap and FMU had scored the winning run.

So then it was announced that FMU would play Columbus State on Sunday because Columbus had already played 3 games on Saturday. But Columbus was given the option and they elected to play FMU right then and there rather than waiting till the next day. Columbus State jumped out early and scored 4 runs in the 1st inning to make it 4-1 and FMU was once again playing catch up. FMu seemed to play better with their backs against the wall all weekend and this game was no different. In the top of the 6th inning FMU would bust out with 4 runs to take the lead 5-4 and never looked back. Allowing them to come back Sunday to play North Georgia.

Down 3-1 going into the last inning FMU delivered, helped by a huge double by pinch hitter Pangburn and scored two to tie it up. FMU then would load the bases and score a run in the top of the ninth inning but two runners were thrown out at home and that would prove costly. North Georgia wouldn't go away and in the bottom half of the ninth Krista Bess hit a walkoff two run homer that just got out of the reach of FMU CF Lakyn Bendle. A heartbreaking loss for FMU but they have nothing to hang their heads over and in the process made a strong case for an invite to regionals.

Thanks for the drama and laughs ladies and best of luck.





These are both from a crazy play where Columbus used a suicide squeeze and bunted to 3B Kat Beauvais who dived and tried to tag the runner while she was sliding into home.









This was the last picture I took this weekend as North Georgia celebrates the two-run walkoff home run that knocked FMU out of the tourney.

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