Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 FLORENCE, S.C. (May 2, 2014) – Senior right-hander Spencer Jordan and junior righty Jeremy Hatfield combined on a five-hitter to lead Francis Marion University to a 4-1 victory over Young Harris College in the second game of a Peach Belt Conference baseball doubleheader from Sparrow Stadium. The Mountain Lions won the first contest 7-2.
The Patriots (27-21, 12-17 PBC) will wrap up their regular season at home on Monday, May 5, against Winston-Salem State University at 7 p.m. Prior to the game, 13 FMU seniors will be recognized before their final home contest.
Jordan improved his record to 4-4 on the mound after pitching five innings with two strikeouts. Hatfield earned his fifth save of the season by giving up just one hit in four innings of relief out of the bullpen. Both are natives of Florence and products of South Florence High School.
Young Harris (25-25, 13-17) starter josh Rudnick (6-2) took the loss on the hill after giving up two earned runs on three hits in two innings of work.
At the plate, senior shortstop
Michael Wilson finished 2-for-3, while junior first baseman Connor Wessel tallied a hit and scored two runs. Senior outfielder
Isaac Davenport picked up a hit and scored a run, and junior catcher
Nicholas McGee added an RBI double.
Davenport gave the Patriots an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning by scoring on a wild pitch by Rudnick after a leadoff single and a stolen base. FMU pushed its lead to 2-0 on McGee's RBI double that scored Wessel in the bottom half of the second inning.
Young Harris cut the lead to 2-1 on a solo home run by Jack Morrow in the top of the sixth inning. The Mountain Lions threatened to take the lead later in the frame after loading the bases with just one out on a pair of doubles and a walk. However, Hatfield was able to induce two infield pop-ups to work out of the jam and keep the lead intact.
FMU added a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh inning after loading the bases on a pair of walks and a hit batter. Sophomore infielder
Cole Morris hit a fielder's choice that plated senior designated hitter
Dalton Gress, and Wessel scored on the same play via an error by Young Harris to give the Patriots a three-run advantage.
Hatfield set the Mountain Lion hitters down 1-2-3 in the eighth and ninth innings to earn the save and give FMU the series victory. With the win on Thursday night, the Patriots qualified for next weekend's PBC Tournament in Aiken, S.C. The tournament bracket will be determined later this weekend.
Rudnick led the Mountain Lions at the plate with two hits, while Morrow finished 1-for-4 with an RBI. Adam Moore and Trey Rogers also each tallied a hit.
Young Harris recorded 17 hits to help earn the victory in the first contest. The Mountain Lions' Travis Donahoo (2-3) picked up the win on the mound after giving up just two earned runs on five hits while tallying five strikeouts in eight innings of work. FMU starter
Brandon Stoots (2-2) took the loss after surrendering up a pair of runs on eight hits.
Trailing 7-0, the Patriots struck for two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning. Morris and Davenport kicked off the frame with back-to-back singles, and in the next at-bat, junior outfielder
Zac Lenns drove in Davenport with a hit to shallow centerfield. After Wilson drew a walk to load the bases, Morris scored on an RBI groundout by Gress.
Lenns finished 1-for-4 at the plate with an RBI. Morris and Davenport each recorded a base knock and scored a run, while Wessel finished 1-for-3.
The Mountain Lions were first on the scoreboard with two runs in the top of the second inning on a single by Brett Westmoreland. After Young Harris tacked on single runs in the top of the fifth and eighth innings, it added three runs in the ninth highlighted by an RBI triple by Morrow, who was thrown out at the plate trying for an inside-the-park home run.
Morrow finished 3-for-5 at the plate with a run scored and an RBI, while Dom Wyshinski was 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Zach Wall tallied a pair of hits and an RBI, and Rudnick, playing center field in the opener, added three hits and scored a run.
Young Harris College 7, Francis Marion Univ. 2 (May 02, 2014 at Florence, SC) (Game 1)
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Young Harris College 020 010 013 - 7 17 0 (25-24, 13-16 PBC)
Francis Marion Univ. 000 000 002 - 2 5 1 (26-21, 11-17 PBC)
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Pitchers: Young Harris College - Travis Donahoo; James Mills(9) and Jack Morrow.
Francis Marion Univ. - Brandon Stoots; Daniel Barfield(2); Chance DuCharme(5);
Justin Turbeville(5); Cody Dix(9) and Nicholas McGee.
Win-Travis Donahoo(2-3) Loss-Brandon Stoots(2-2) T-2:40 A-581
Weather: Light Rain, 65, ENE @ 7 mph
Stoots faced 5 batters in the 2nd.
Donahoo faced 3 batters in the 9th.
Francis Marion Univ. 4, Young Harris College 1 (May 02, 2014 at Florence, SC) (Game 2)
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Young Harris College 000 001 000 - 1 5 1 (25-25, 13-17 PBC)
Francis Marion Univ. 110 000 20X - 4 6 0 (27-21, 12-17 PBC)
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Pitchers: Young Harris College - Josh Rudnik; Taylor Topping(3); Tyler Isbell(7); James Mills(7)
and Bowen Klosinski. Francis Marion Univ. - Spencer Jordan; Jeremy Hatfield(6) and
Nicholas McGee.
Win-Spencer Jordan(4-4) Save-Jeremy Hatfield(5) Loss-Josh Rudnik(6-2) T-2:18 A-0
HR YHC - Jack Morrow (11).
Weather: Cloudy, 66, Winds calm
Jordan faced 2 batters in the 6th.
Isbell faced 3 batters in the 7th.
