MONTEVALLO, AL – A ninth-inning rally in game two would come up short as the 17th-ranked Francis Marion University Patriots dropped an 11-6 decision to the University of Montevallo, Saturday evening (March 5) in Peach Belt Conference baseball action. Francis Marion fell in the first game by a score of 25-3.

The Patriots (13-5, 2-3) will wrap-up their weekend Peach Belt Conference series at Montevallo on Sunday.  The squads will play a single game at 1 p.m. (Central Time).  The next home game for FMU will be March 9 at 6 p.m. against Virginia State University.

FMU senior right fielder JD Crowe extended his streak of safely reaching base to 49 games with a one-out single in the top of the first inning of game one. The base-knock also pushed his current hitting streak to 10 games.

Crowe finished game one 3-for-5 at the plate with an RBI, additionally senior first baseman Randy Loew went 2-for-5 with an RBI. Freshman designated hitter Cole Hinnant hit his first collegiate home run for the Patriots in the eighth inning.

Senior southpaw Matt Kelley (2-2) was handed with the loss in the opening game, tossing 3.1 innings before turning the game over to the Patriots' bullpen.

FMU would pick up its first runs of the game in the top of the seventh inning. With one out in the inning and runners on first and second base, a RBI single from Crowe would bring in the first run. One batter later, Loew came through with an RBI single of his own, scoring the runner from second base.

In game two, senior right-hander Fernando Pinillos (3-1) took the loss for FMU, working 3.1 innings. Senior left-hander Daniel Barfield tossed two scoreless innings out of the bullpen for the Patriots.

Crowe would again reach base in the top of the first inning, drawing a walk to extend his streak of reaching base safely to an even 50 games. The hitting streak, however, would come to an end at 10 games for Crowe as he finished 0-for-1.

The Patriots would get their offense going in the top of the seventh inning against the Falcons. Trailing 11-0, freshmen catcher William Robbins plated a run with a RBI single to right field. Senior center fielder Shuler Ward cut the Patriots deficit to 11-4 with a two-run home run in the eighth inning.

Junior third baseman Antonio Pino delivered his lone hit of the game in the ninth inning, an RBI single up the middle to make it 11-5. The scoring for FMU would round out with a RBI single to right field from senior left fielder Casey Clauss.

Clauss finished the game 2-for-5 with two RBIs and several Patriots' registered one hit in the contest. Junior righty Zach Callahan tossed 1.2 scoreless innings of relief, striking out three batters and walking none.

Senior righty Aaron McRee picked up the win in game one for the Falcons and freshman lefty Jamison Roney was the victor in game two. Junior left fielder Daniel Pardo combined to go 5-for-8 at the plate with eight RBIs for the Falcons.