AIKEN, SC – One strike away from a series opening road win, Francis Marion University suffered a heart-breaking 7-5 loss when USC Aiken senior third baseman Daulton Weeks blasted a walk-off three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning, Friday evening (Feb. 23) in Peach Belt Conference baseball action.

FMU falls to .500 (7-7) overall and 3-4 in the conference, while the Pacers improve to 7-4 and 1-0. The Patriots will play the second of a three-game weekend series against USC Aiken on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. Sunday's series finale has been moved up to a noon start.

FMU junior left fielder Gage Taylor went 3-for-4 in the contest with an RBI, while senior first baseman Trey Chapman recorded two hits and two RBIs.

The Pacers put up a three spot in the opening frame as junior catcher Conner Durden knocked a 2-RBI double to right field. Two batters later, senior first baseman Brian Parreira singled to right field adding a third run.

The Patriots would get on the board in the fourth frame as Chapman homered, plating senior catcher William Robbins, and making the score 3-2 in favor of USCA.

Durden would come back in the bottom of the fifth with a solo homer, doubling the Pacer's lead to 4-2.

FMU would inch closer in the top of the eighth as junior third baseman Alex Griffith homered and four batters later, junior left fielder Gage Taylor singled to center field plating Chapman and tying the game at 4-4.

Heading into the ninth frame, junior center fielder Henry Davis IV led off the inning with a double to left field, went to third on balk, and scored the go-ahead run (5-4) on Griffith's sacrifice fly.

The Pacers rallied in the bottom half though. A lead-off single and a two-out walk preceded Weeks' 3-run homer.  Patriot junior right-handed pitcher Cole Hinnant (0-2) suffered the loss as he pitched the ninth frame.

FMU sophomore righty Sam High started the game for Francis Marion and went five innings allowing four runs on six hits and striking out an impressive 12 batters.

Junior righty Jon Yarbrough (1-0) picked up the win for the Pacers.

USC Aiken 7, Francis Marion 5 (Feb 23, 2018 at Aiken, S.C.)
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Francis Marion...... 000 200 021  -  5  9  1      (7-7, 3-4 PBC)
USC Aiken........... 300 010 003  -  7  9  0      (7-4)
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Pitchers: Francis Marion - Sam High; Adam Hornstra(6); Evan Flynn(8); Cole Hinnant(9) and
William Robbins. USC Aiken - Rafuse; Wiggins(6); Beamon III(8); Aragon(8); Yarborough(9) and
Bottomley.
Win-Yarborough (0-1)  Loss-Cole Hinnant (0-2)  T-3:53  A-343
HR FMU - Alex Griffith; Trey Chapman.
HR USCA - Durden; Weeks.
Rafuse faced 1 batter in the 6th; Wiggins faced 1 batter in the 8th; Hornstra faced 1 batter in the 8th; Aragon faced 2 batters in the 9th.