FLORENCE, SC – Senior right fielder JD Crowe drove in a career-high six runs with three hits and a pair of sacrifice flies to lead Francis Marion University to a 19-7 victory over Pfeiffer University, Tuesday evening (April 19) in non-conference baseball action.

Francis Marion (24-19) will host Georgia Southwestern State University for a three-game Peach Belt Conference series this weekend.  FMU will celebrate Senior Day on Saturday when the two programs play a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.  The final game of the series will be Sunday at 1 p.m.

FMU pounded out a season-high 25 hits with 12 different players contributing.  Francis Marion scored in all but one inning (third) and 21 Patriots who dressed got into the contest.

Junior third baseman Zach Callahan went 4-for-6 with a double, three runs scored, and one driven in.  Crowe finished 3-for-3, while junior catcher Logan Koch was 3-for-3 with two runs scored and senior center fielder Shuler Ward was 3-for-4 with a double, three runs scored, and two RBIs.

Senior southpaw Daniel Barfield (1-1), the fourth of six FMU hurlers, was awarded the win.  He pitched a perfect 1-2-3 seventh inning.  FMU starter Jacob Shumate allowed two runs on five hits in 3.1 innings or work.  He was relieved two batters after taking a line drive off his leg.

Pfeiffer starter Jordan Toney (0-1) took the loss as he surrendered six runs (five earned) on six hits in 1.1 innings.

The Falcons (19-27) took a quick 1-0 lead as lead-off batter Derek Perry homered on the second pitch of the game.  FMU answered on Crowe's RBI double to left in the bottom of the frame.

Run-scoring doubles by Ward and senior shortstop Antonio Pino, a run-scoring grounder by junior designated hitter Zack Haralambis, and a 2-run single by Crowe accounted for a five-run outburst by the Patriots in the second inning.

Both Pino and Haralambis finished the night with two hits and three RBIs.

The two teams traded single tallies in the fourth frame as FMU held a 7-2 advantage.  The Patriots broke the game open in the fifth by batting around and scoring seven times.

Shortstop Austin Fox led Pfeiffer at the plate with a 2-for-4 night that included a run scored and two RBIs, while designated hitter Tanner Mathis was also 2-for-4 with a double and a pair of runs scored.