FLORENCE, SC – Pinch-runner Austin Fox scored on a wild pitch with no outs in the bottom of the twelfth inning to give Francis Marion University a 2-1 victory over North Greenville University, Saturday afternoon (Feb. 4) at the 11th-annual Carolinas Hospital System Baseball Classic.

FMU (2-0) will host Wingate University on Sunday at 2 p.m. in the final game of the three-day event.

In the bottom of the twelfth, FMU catcher Logan Koch led off with a walk.  Freshman third baseman Harris White followed with another base-on-balls and both runners moved up a base on a wild pitch from Crusader reliever Avery Greer (0-1).  Pinch-hitter Connor Howell also walked to load the bases before a wild pitch allowed Fox to scamper home with the winning run.

A pair of Patriot freshman right-handers held North Greenville to one run on nine hits.  Christian Umphlett (1-0) earned the win as he tossed six scoreless frames, allowing only four hits.  Sam High started and was tagged with only one run on five hits in his 6-inning stint.  He fanned four and walked two.

FMU junior outfielder Reese Cooley tied the game at 1-1 with a lead-off home run to left field in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Jacksonville, Fla., native's third long-ball in the opening two contests.  Cooley added pair of singles to end the game 3-for-5.

Junior first baseman Trey Chapman was 2-for-3 for FMU.

The Crusaders broke through first with a tally in the top of third inning.  Catcher Wheeler Smith led off with a triple to right center field and scored on a ground out by second baseman Eric Gilbert.

Earlier in the day, North Greenville (2-1) had beaten Claflin University 10-4.