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FLORENCE, SC – Seventh-ranked Francis Marion University rallied twice to tie up the score with Belmont Abbey College on Tuesday afternoon (Feb. 14), but couldn't push across the eventual winning run and fell to the Crusaders 5-2 in 11 innings at Cormell Field.

The Patriots (4-3) will travel to play Newberry College on Wednesday afternoon at 3 p.m.  FMU topped the Wolves a week ago 5-4 in comeback fashion in Florence.

Francis Marion senior left-hander Matt Broderick worked nine innings, scattering seven hits and striking out seven Crusaders.  He allowed two runs, one of which was unearned before exiting with a no decision.

Patriot senior infielder Brock McCallister paced the FMU offense going 4-for-6 with a run scored, while junior infielder Stephen Tarkenton had three more of Francis Marion's 10 hits on the day going 3-for-6 with a run batted in. 

Senior righty Dyson Coker (0-1) was tabbed with the loss, giving up three runs in 1.1 innings pitched.

Belmont Abbey junior Emilio Pagan (1-0) moved from third base to the mound in the ninth and earned the win with three shutout innings.

Belmont Abbey (7-3) opened the scoring with a run in the top of the first.  Caleb Shore's sacrifice fly plated Ian Vazquez, who had led off the game with a single and moved to third on an errant pickoff throw by the FMU catcher.

Francis Marion evened the score in the bottom of the first when McCallister scored on a double-play grounder.  Belmont Abbey went back on top in the top of the second when catcher Kyle Buchanan homered over the left field fence.  FMU again knotted the score, at 2-2, in the bottom of the seventh inning when senior center fielder Buddy Sosnoskie started a two-out rally with a single.  He stole second base and scored on Tarkenton's single through the left side.

FMU had an opportunity to win the game in the bottom of the ninth when McCallister led off the frame with a single and junior infielder Tyler Hibbs sacrificed him to second with a bunt.  However, senior John Jones eventually ended the inning with a fielder's choice grounder that stranded McCallister at third.

The Crusaders broke through in the top of the 11th when Buchanan singled through the middle with two outs to score a pair of runs.  After Justin Vasquez doubled to lead off the frame and moved to third on a wild pitch, it looked as though Coker might escape the inning as he coaxed back-to-back ground outs.  However Buchanan's hard chopper up the middle broke the deadlock.  Belmont Abbey added an insurance run on Gabby Amor's RBI single to left center.  Buchanan, Amor, and Vasquez all had two hits for the Crusaders.

The Patriots stranded 15 base runners on base during the game.