ORANGEBURG, SC – Junior third baseman Todd Mattox had two hits and drove in three runs while right-handers Daniel Twitty and Christian Umphlett combined on a five-hitter as Francis Marion University posted a 7-1 win over Claflin University on Sunday (March 8) to complete a three-game sweep of their weekend Peach Belt Conference baseball series.

FMU, now 10-9 overall and 6-5 in the PBC, will host a two-game non-conference series with Chowan University this week.  The squads will play single games on Tuesday at 6 p.m. and Wednesday at 2 p.m.

Twitty (2-2) pitched 5.2 innings and allowed only three hits and no runs while striking out four.  Umphlett hurled the final 3.1 innings to earn his fourth save.  He surrendered only one run on two hits while also fanning four.

Patriot pitchers allowed Claflin only one run in 26 innings during the series.

Francis Marion threatened over the first four frames, stranding five runners on base.  In the fifth, the Patriots took a 1-0 lead.  Two walks and a hit batter preceded an RBI-fielder's choice grounder by junior designated hitter Darius Nobles.

The game remained 1-0 until the ninth when FMU plated six insurance runs.  Two tallies came home on a Panther error before Mattox hit a bases-loaded triple and then came home on an RBI-single by sophomore right fielder Will Hardee.

Hardee finished Sunday 2-for-3.  Mattox concluded the three-game series 7-for-13 with six runs batted in.

Francis Marion 7, Claflin 1 (Mar. 8, 2020 at Orangeburg, S.C.)
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Francis Marion...... 000 010 006  -  7  6  1      (10-9, 6-5-0 PBC)
Claflin.............        000 000 001  -  1  5  1      (4-13, 0-11-0 PBC)
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Pitchers: Francis Marion - Daniel Twitty; Christian Umphlett(6) and Daulton Dabbs. Claflin -
X. Johnson; D. Strozier(6); J. Hardin(7); K. Hawkins(9) and J. McCray.
Win-Daniel Twitty (2-2)  Save-Christian Umphlett (4)  Loss-J. Hardin (0-1)  T-2:45  A-125
Weather: Sunny/Chilly
D. Strozier faced 2 batters in the 7th.; J. Hardin faced 2 batters in the 9th.