MOUNT OLIVE, NC – A trio of home runs accounted for six runs that powered top-ranked Mount Olive College to a 7-5 non-conference win over Francis Marion University, Tuesday evening (April 16) in college baseball action.

Francis Marion sees its modest four-game winning streak snapped as the Patriots drop to 22-16.  Mount Olive improves to 40-4 with its 18th consecutive win.

FMU will host Augusta State University for a key three-game Peach Belt Conference series this weekend, beginning with a single contest on Friday night at 7 p.m.

Senior center fielder Jarrod Reed and junior right field Isaac Davenport, both batting at the top of the lineup, led the Patriots with two hits apiece.

Junior righty Austin Cox (1-1) suffered the loss after allowing four runs on eight hits in 4.1 innings.

Francis Marion took an early 1-0 advantage in the top of the second on senior first baseman Rhodes Dickerson's RBI-single down the left field line.  The hit also stretched the Darlington native's hitting streak to a career-best 16 games, and 30 of his last 31 games.  Mount Olive quickly tied the game on a solo homer by Geno Escalante in the bottom of the same frame.

FMU responded with a single run in the third when senior designated hitter Will Chandler just missed a three-run homer, but settled for a sacrifice fly that plated Reed.  Chandler was a robbed of two-run double in his next at bat in the fifth when his liner was snagged on a diving catch in right center field.

The Trojans took the lead for good with three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, two coming on a home run by Bradon Reitano.  The deficit increased to 7-2 when Jermaine Berry belted a three run homer in the seventh.

The Patriots rallied for three runs in the top of the eighth.  The initial run came home on a Trojan error and junior second baseman Stephen Johnson drove home the other two with a single down the left field line.

FMU managed a two-out pinch-hit single by junior Brett Fulmer in the ninth, but reliever Talton Cherry got Chandler to ground into a fielder's choice to end the game.

Mount Olive starter Chris Orphanos (8-0) remained unbeaten as he held the Patriots to four runs (two earned) on eight hits in 7.1 innings.  Cherry earned his first save of 2013.