Box Score FLORENCE, SC – Junior third baseman Brett Fulmer collected three hits and a career-high four runs batted in to lead Francis Marion University to a 9-4 non-conference win over Clarion University, Wednesday afternoon (March 19) in college baseball action.
Francis Marion (13-12) sweeps the mid-week two-game series against the Golden Eagles (2-6). FMU will return to Peach Belt Conference play this weekend on the road against 25th-ranked Columbus State University. The three-game series will consist of a single game on Friday at 7 p.m. and a doubleheader on Saturday at 2 p.m.
Fulmer finished Wednesday's game 3-for-5 with a run scored and the four RBIs, while senior left fielder Marquis Curry was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two driven in. It was Fulmer's third career three-hit game. A trio of Patriots registered two hits apiece: senior first baseman David DeWolfe, junior catcher Nicholas McGee, and sophomore second baseman Cole Morris.
Junior southpaw Cody Dix (1-1) earned the win as he struck out four batters in 1.1 innings. FMU starter Austin Cox allowed four runs on eight hits in 4.2 innings.
Junior Justin Turbeville followed Dix with two scoreless frames and freshman righty Gordon Owens finished up with a scoreless ninth inning. FMU hurlers fanned eight batters and issued only two walks.
Clarion starter Troy Kumar (0-1) was the losing pitcher as he was charged with three runs on six hits in 1.2 innings of work.
Center fielder Drew Pirritano, second baseman Derek Danver, and first baseman Tyler Falk had two hits apiece for the Golden Eagles.
FMU plated three runs in the first inning – run-scoring hits by DeWolfe, Curry, and Fulmer – and never trailed. The Patriot doubled their advantage to 6-0 in the third frame thanks to a 2-run single by Fulmer and an RBI-single by Morris.
After Clarion scored a lone run in the top of the fourth, Francis Marion struck for three more runs in the bottom of the frame on an RBI-double by Curry and run-scoring singles by Fulmer and McGee.
The Golden Eagles tallied a trio of runs in the top of the fifth to trim the deficit to 9-4, but that would conclude the afternoon's scoring.
Francis Marion Univ. 9, Clarion University 4 (Mar 19, 2014 at Florence, SC)
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Clarion University.. 000 130 000 - 4 12 2 (2-6)
Francis Marion Univ. 303 300 00X - 9 13 2 (13-12)
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Pitchers: Clarion University - Troy Kumar; Ken DiBucci(2); Sam Skraba(3); Colton Gossett(4);
Brendon Fitzgerald(6); Jason Gerland(7); Tanner Fitting(8) and Ben Thomas.
Francis Marion Univ. - Austin Cox; Cody Dix(5); Justin Turbeville(7); Gordon Owens(9) and
Nicholas McGee.
Win-Cody Dix(1-1) Loss-Troy Kumar(0-1) T-2:39 A-556
Weather: 43, Overcast, Damp, N @ 3 mph
K. DiBucci faced 3 batters in the 3rd.
