Florence, S.C. (April 11, 2014) – The Francis Marion University baseball team rallied from a five-run deficit to claim a 9-8 Peach Belt Conference victory over 30th-ranked UNC Pembroke on Friday night at Sparrow Stadium. FMU (22-17, 8-13 PBC) senior outfielder Isaac Davenport hit the game-winning walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning.

The three-game series will continue Saturday (April 11) at 2 p.m. Prior to the game,  servicemen from the Wounded Warrior Project will be honored in a pre-game ceremony and will throw out the ceremonial first pitches.

Senior righty Jeffrey Stoner (2-2) earned the victory on the mound after throwing three innings out of the bullpen without surrendering an earned run and compiling two strikeouts. UNC Pembroke (28-13, 13-9) reliever Zach Andrews (2-5) took the loss after giving up the game-winning single.

With the game tied at 7-7 heading into the bottom of the eighth inning, senior shortstop Michael Wilson led-off the frame with a bunt single to third base. After senior third baseman Luke Tollison hit a sacrifice bunt to move him into scoring position, Wilson scored the go-ahead run on a bad-hop single by senior outfielder Marquis Curry, a ball that bounced over the head of the Braves' second baseman Daniel Fraga.

Stoner started the top of the ninth inning with a one-pitch fly-out, but two Patriot errors after a UNCP hit loaded the bases with just one out. Stoner fanned UNCP's Brett Huffman for the second out of the inning, but the Braves' Victor Zecca hit a ball into centerfield to tie the game at 8-8. The hit fell in front of Davenport who then fired the ball home and to nab Drew Beaver, who was trying to score the go-ahead run.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, junior second baseman Brett Fulmer hit a leadoff single to begin the frame. Pinch-runner Cole Morris advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by junior catcher Nicholas McGee, and Davenport smashed a 2-0 pitch down the left field line to score Morris, and give the Patriots their first walk-off victory of the season.

Curry led the way for FMU at the plate with four hits and a run batted in. Davenport was 3-for-6 with two RBIs and a run scored, while Fulmer finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored as well.

Senior first baseman David DeWolfe registered two base knocks and an RBI, and Wilson added three base hits and an RBI. Tollison also had two hits and extended his hitting streak to 12 games.

UNCP jumped out to a 5-0 lead after an inning and a half off of Patriot starter Jordy Santak. However, FMU would answer with four runs in the bottom of the second to cut the deficit to 5-4. Fulmer had an RBI double in the inning, while Davenport, Tollison, and Wilson all added RBI singles.

The Braves would tack on two more runs in the top of the third inning to take a 7-4 lead. The Patriots started chipping back at the lead in the fifth with a sacrifice fly RBI by Fulmer to make the score 7-5.

The Patriots would tie the game at 7-7 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Junior outfielder Zac Lenns scored on a Braves' throwing error before DeWolfe tied the game with an RBI single up the middle.

Dalton Knight led the way for UNCP with three hits and an RBI in four trips to the plate. Zecca was 2-for-3 at the plate with two RBIs, while Fraga and Drew Cole both finished 2-for-5 with a run scored.   

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UNC Pembroke........ 412 000 001  -  8 14  2      (28-13, 13-9 PBC)
Francis Marion Univ. 040 012 011  -  9 19  2      (22-17, 8-13 PBC)
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Pitchers: UNC Pembroke - Logan Cook; Alex Britt(6); Jordan DeLoatch(8); Zach Andrews(9) and
Max Gagnon. Francis Marion Univ. - Jordy Santak; Cody Dix(6); Jeffrey Stoner(7) and
Nicholas McGee.
Win-Jeffrey Stoner(2-2)  Loss-Zach Andrews(2-5)  T-3:14  A-623
HR UNCP - Max Gagnon (4).
Weather: Mostly Cloudy, 79,WSW @ 13 mph