FLORENCE, SC – Belmont Abbey College senior center fielder Nick Beinlich knocked an eleventh-inning RBI single to right field to give the 11th-ranked Crusaders a 10-9 victory over Francis Marion University, Wednesday afternoon (Feb. 21) in non-conference collegiate baseball action.

FMU drops to 7-6, while the Crusaders up their record to 12-2. The Patriots will be on the road Feb. 23-25 with a three-game series against USC Aiken, before returning home the following weekend to face off against Limestone College at 6 p.m. on March 2, 2 p.m. on March 3, and 1 p.m. on March 4.

Junior center fielder Henry Davis IV went 3-for-4 in the contest for FMU, while tallying two RBIs. Senior catcher William Robbins added three hits and two RBIs, and junior left fielder Gage Taylor had two hits.

Francis Marion got on the board early as junior third baseman Alex Griffith hit a sacrifice fly scoring Davis and putting the Patriots up 1-0 in the first inning.

Belmont Abbey came back with a four-spot in the third frame though, as senior Matt McGarry singled to right center scoring a run, and senior catcher Thomas Yoder hit a three-run homer to left field. Sophomore left fielder Luke Cureton added to their lead in the fourth with a homer, making it 5-1.

FMU had back-to-back three-run innings in the fifth and sixth frames, as the Patriots took the lead back 7-5. In the fifth, Griffith drove in a run with a groundout, and then Robbins singled up the middle plating Davis and sophomore right fielder Patrick Jackson. After a sacrifice fly by Taylor in the sixth, Davis blasted a 2-run homer to left field.

Another four-run inning by the Crusaders saw another lead change in the eighth as Cureton singled plating two, followed by junior third baseman Josh Genthe scoring on a throwing error, putting Belmont Abbey up 9-7.

With the Patriots down by two runs in the bottom of the ninth, senior first baseman Trey Chapman singled to right center scoring junior second baseman Steven Cox. The next batter, senior designated hitter Tee DuBose, knocked a hit into center field scoring the tying run and forcing extra innings.

In the top of the eleventh and the score still tied at 9-9, Beinlich singled to right field, putting the Crusaders up 10-9. Freshman right-handed pitcher Beck Way shutout the Patriots in the bottom half, while picking up the save.

The winning pitcher for Belmont Abbey was junior righty Parker McPhail (2-0), while throwing 1.1 innings and giving up just two hits.

Junior right-handed pitcher Cole Hinnant (0-1) was tagged with the loss.

Belmont Abbey Coll. 10, Francis Marion Univ. 9 (Feb 21, 2018 at Florence, SC)
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Belmont Abbey Coll.. 004 100 040 01 - 10 12 0 (12-2)
Francis Marion Univ. 100 033 002 00 - 9 14 3 (7-6)
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Pitchers: Belmont Abbey Coll. - Griffin Baker; Michael Gonzalez(6); Robert Frantzis(6);
Brady Hill(7); Sam Luchansky(8); Parker MacPhail(9); Beck Way(11) and Thomas Yoder.
Francis Marion Univ. - Austin Roseberry; Adam Hornstra(4); Will Taks(6); Evan Flynn(7);
Christian Umphlett(8); Cole Hinnant(9); Garrett Wilson(11) and William Robbins.
Win-Parker MacPhail (2-0) Save-Beck Way (1) Loss-Cole Hinnant (0-1) T-3:41 A-524
HR BAC - Thomas Yoder (5); Luke Cureton (2).
HR FMU - Henry Davis IV (1).
Weather: Partly Cloudy,81,windsESE@0mph