FLORENCE, SC – Junior third baseman Steven Cox drove in four runs and freshman right-hander Austin Roseberry turned in five strong innings of relief as Francis Marion University defeated Chowan University 11-5, Tuesday evening (Feb. 13) in non-conference college baseball action.

Francis Marion (6-2) and Chowan (2-5) will wrap up their two-game mid-week series with a single game on Wednesday at 2 p.m.

Cox went 2-for-5 and senior catcher William Robbins was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two driven in.  Patriot lead-off man Gage Taylor scored three times and drove in one run.

The Hawks took a 1-0 lead off Patriot freshman southpaw Antonio Reneo in the opening frame. Left fielder Harry Markotay led off with a single to right field, moved to second on a ground out, advanced to third on a passed ball, and scored on a two-out RBI-single up the middle by catcher Trent Brosdahl. Brosdahl finished the game 3-for-5 as the Hawks totaled 11 hits.

FMU answered right back in its half of the first inning with three runs.  Robbins finished off a 10-pitch at bat with a two-run single through the box, and one batter later, Hinnant plated Robbins with a run-scoring single through the left side.

The Hawks responded with three runs in the top of the second to regain the lead at 4-3.  Roseberry (1-0) came in and averted further trouble.  He tossed five innings and allowed only three hits and one unearned run.  He fanned six and walked only one while registering his first collegiate win.

Run-scoring singles by Taylor and Cox and an RBI fielder's choice grounder by junior designated hitter Alex Griffith accounted for a three-run Patriot rally in the fourth frame that chased Hawks' starter Corey Fago (0-1) and put FMU up 6-4. Griffith finished the game 0-for-4 ending his season-opening seven-game hitting streak.

The Patriots loaded the bases with no outs in the fifth, but were unable to push across a run.

Chowan finally broke through against Roseberry with the unearned tally in the seventh to draw within 6-5. The Patriots benefited from a Hawks' base running mistake in the frame as a single ticketed for right field hit a runner going from first to second.

Francis Marion answered the Hawks with four runs in its half of the frame.  Junior pinch hitter Josh Kent dropped a run-scoring double down the left field line, and two batters later, Cox lined a double down the left field line that rolled to the wall and plated three Patriots.

A sacrifice fly to right center by senior first baseman Trey Chapman in the eighth inning accounted for the final Patriot run.

Sophomore southpaw Garrett Wilson pitched the final 2.2 innings to earn his first collegiate save. He allowed no runs on three hits with two strikeouts.

Francis Marion Univ. 11, Chowan University 5 (Feb 13, 2018 at Florence, SC)
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Chowan University... 130 000 100  -  5 11  4      (2-5)
Francis Marion Univ.  300 300 41X  - 11  8  3      (6-2)
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Pitchers: Chowan University - Corey Fago; Trenton Lee(4); Vinny Puma(7); Daniel Whitener(8) and
. Francis Marion Univ. - Antonio Reneo; Austin Roseberry(2); Garrett Wilson(7) and .
Win-Austin Roseberry (1-0)  Save-Garrett Wilson (1)  Loss-Corey Fago (0-1)  T-3:31  A-455
Weather: Mostly cloudy,51,windsNNE@8mph