FLORENCE, SC – USC Aiken scored three times in each of its last at bats to escape with a sweep of its Peach Belt Conference doubleheader with Francis Marion University, Friday (March 26) in college baseball action. The Pacers captured a 6-4 win in the opener and a 10-inning 9-6 victory in the nightcap.
FMU drops to 10-9 overall and 8-9 in PBC play, while USCA improves to 10-10, both overall and in the Peach Belt. The two squads will play a single game on Saturday at 1 p.m. Attendance is limited to 250 and that includes only season ticket holders, FMU students with pre-acquired tickets, and family members of players with reserved tickets. No walk-up game-day tickets will be sold.
FMU junior right fielder
Will Hardee led FMU with four hits in the twinbill, while senior third baseman
Todd Mattox registered three hits and drove in four runs. Mattox has now reached base safely in 27 consecutive games dating back to last season.
The heart-breaking, game-one loss came as USCA centerfielder Morgan Hyde belted a two-out, three-run homer over the left field wall in the top of the ninth. That erased a 4-3 FMU advantage. Hardee (0-2), who came on to pitch from his right field spot in the ninth, was tagged with the loss.
The first four FMU batters of game one reached base and scored, as the Patriots scored in the first inning of their seventh consecutive PBC contest. Hardee and sophomore left fielder
Jack Hegan reached on infield singles before Mattox drilled a three-run homer over the left centerfield wall. Senior first baseman
Darius Nobles followed with a solo shot off the netting that protects the scoreboard in left center.
However, three USCA pitchers would silence the Francis Marion the rest of the way, allowing only five more hits and no runs. Reliever Austin Sandifer (2-0) tossed two scoreless frames to earn the win, while junior righty Austin Hohm pitched a scoreless ninth to earn the save.
The Pacers scored one in the fourth and two in the fifth to draw within 4-3 and to set the stage for the ninth inning.
Lost in the defeat was the outstanding relief pitching of junior right-hander
Cory Poulsen, who came out of the Patriot bullpen and allowed only one hit and one run in 3.2 innings of work. FMU freshman starter
Halton Hardy went five innings and allowed three runs on eight hits, and left with a 4-3 advantage.
The second game was a back-and-forth dogfight between the two long-time rivals. Both teams scored single tallies in the second, with FMU plating its run without the benefit of a hit. FMU jumped ahead 2-1 in the third thanks to an RBI-double by Nobles, only to see the Pacers score a tying run in the fourth.
Hardee doubled to lead off the fifth and came home on a throwing error to put the Patriots up 3-2. USCA responded with the tying run in the top of the sixth. In the bottom of the frame, FMU again jumped ahead, at 5-3, as Hardee and Mattox ripped run-scoring singles.
Hyde collected an infield RBI-single in the seventh to bring the Pacers to within 5-4. A pair of sacrifice flies in the top of the eighth allowed USCA to regain the advantage at 6-5, but an RBI ground out by sophomore designated hitter
Carson Jones in the ninth forced extra innings. The Patriots had a chance to win the game in walk-off fashion, but left the bases full in the ninth.
A two-out throwing error, which occurred in a run-down, opened the gates for three USCA runs in the top of the 10th frame. Hardee again took the loss as he started the inning on the mound.
FMU would get the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the 10th with no outs, but Hyde – who moved from center field to the mound and earned the win – induced a double play grounder and a fly out to extinguish the rally.
USC Aiken 6, Francis Marion Univ. 4 (Mar 26, 2021 at Florence, SC) (Game 1)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
USC Aiken........... 000 120 003 - 6 11 0 (9-10, 9-10 PBC)
Francis Marion Univ. 400 000 000 - 4 9 3 (10-8, 8-8 PBC)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pitchers: USC Aiken - Daniel Wiggins; Austin Sandifer (7); Austin Hohm (9) and Marcus Masetellone ;
Connor Christensen. Francis Marion Univ. -
Halton Hardy;
Cory Poulsen (6);
Will Hardee (9);
Christian Umphlett (9) and
Trystan Freeman.
Win-Austin Sandifer (2-0) Save-Austin Hohm (1) Loss-
Will Hardee (0-1) T-2:49 A-111
HR USCA - Morgan Hyde (1); Jackson Hannon (2).
HR FMU -
Todd Mattox (3);
Darius Nobles (3).
Weather: Overcast, 73, Winds SW 6 mph
Wiggins faced 1 batter in the 7th.
Hardee faced 1 batter in the 9th.
USC Aiken 9, Francis Marion Univ. 6 (Mar 26, 2021 at Florence, SC) (Game 2)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
USC Aiken........... 010 101 120 3 - 9 11 1 (10-10, 10-10 PBC)
Francis Marion Univ. 011 012 001 0 - 6 9 2 (10-9, 8-9 PBC)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pitchers: USC Aiken - Lindsey Robinson Jr.; Henry Cartrett(6); Austin Hohm(9); Morgan
Hyde (9) and Stokes Brownlee; Marcus Masetellone. Francis Marion Univ. -
Weston Rogers;
Austin Moody (7);
Christian Umphlett (8);
Ethan Meece (9);
Will Hardee (10);
Brock Rodgers (10) and
Daulton Dabbs.
Win-Morgan Hyde (1-1) Loss-
Will Hardee (0-2) T-3:30
Weather: Overcast, 74, Winds SSW 7 mph
Rogers faced 2 batters in the 7th.
Moody faced 1 batter in the 8th.
