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FLORENCE, SC – Sophomore right-hander Olen Little and two relievers combined on a four-hit shutout as Wingate University scored once in the top of the first and the Bulldogs went on to claim a chilly 1-0 win over Francis Marion University, Tuesday evening (March 6) in non-conference baseball action.

Francis Marion drops to 12-9, while the Bulldogs even their slate at 11-11.  The two squads met in last year's NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Tournament where the Patriots eliminated Wingate 6-1.

On Monday, in a meeting between teams ranks first (FMU) and fifth (Wingate) nationally in total base hits, only a single run was recorded.  Senior Bulldog outfielder Dodson McPherson doubled to deep right center field with two outs.  Five pitches later, he came home to score on a single to right by junior first baseman Brian Yeung.  Both McPherson and Yeung finished the night 2-for-4.

It is Francis Marion's first 1-0 home loss in 16 years, dating back to 1996.

FMU senior southpaw Matt Broderick (1-1) was saddled with the hard-luck loss.  He allowed only six hits and the one run in eight innings.  He struck out two and walked no one.

Little (3-0) allowed only three singles in seven frames.  He struck out seven and walked three, and faced only one serious threat – in the sixth inning.  In that inning, FMU junior right fielder Reggie Weatherford and junior first baseman Stephen Tarkenton both walked to place runners at first and second with only one out.  Little fell behind designated hitter Will Chandler 3-0 before coming back to strike him out.  Little then got senior center fielder Buddy Sosnoskie to pop out to end the threat.

In addition to that scoring opportunity, FMU left one runner on base in six of the other eight innings.

Righty Josh Karr surrendered a two-out single in the bottom of the ninth, but enticed junior first baseman Rhodes Dickerson to foul out to the game.  It was Karr's fifth save of the 2012 campaign.

Wingate entered the game with a 6.81 team earned run average, while allowing an average of 11.95 hits per nine innings.  Little was making his first start of the season after making 10 relief appearances.

Sophomore infielder Michael Wilson, junior catcher Jacob Golliday, junior first baseman Luke Tollison, and Chandler recorded the four FMU base hits.

Francis Marion will return to Peach Belt Conference action this weekend with a single game at Augusta State University on Saturday at 2 p.m. and a doubleheader on Sunday at noon.