FLORENCE, SC – Freshman right fielder
Kolby Crepeau drilled a 3-run double and senior shortstop
Todd Mattox drove in two runs to help Francis Marion University to a 5-2 win over Flagler College in game one of Saturday's (April 3) Peach Belt Conference baseball doubleheader. The Saints scored four runs over the seventh and eighth innings to snap a 2-2 tie and claim the second contest 6-2.
The split moves FMU to 12-11 overall and 10-11 in PBC play, while Flagler is now 8-18 and 7-13.
The Patriots will host Georgia College for a PBC twinbill on Wednesday at 3 p.m. Those games are part of the season-opening series that was rained out back in February. Admission to the Griffin Athletic Complex will be limited to 250 spectators, including only FMU season ticket holders, FMU students who pick up free tickets prior to first pitch, and family members of team members who purchase tickets beforehand. No walk-up day-of-game ticket sales will be available. Spectators will be required to wear masks and social distancing will be observed.
For the 10th time in the past 11 conference games, FMU scored in the first inning of the opening contest. Junior second baseman
Tanner Wakefield reached on a fielding error and went to third on a double down the right field line by junior first baseman
Will Hardee. Mattox lifted a sacrifice fly to right field that plated the game's first run. Flagler knotted the score in the fourth on a two-out RBI-single through the left side by shortstop Donovan Garcia.
The Patriots snapped the 1-1 deadlock with four runs in the sixth. Mattox drove in the go-ahead run with a one-out bases-loaded flare single into shallow right center field. Crepeau followed with a bases-clearing 3-run double down the left field line.
Wakefield and Mattox both rapped out two hits in the first game.
Flagler scored once in the ninth on a sac fly by second baseman Matthew Burke to account for the final margin.
FMU senior southpaw
Weston Rogers (3-3) pitched six strong innings to even his season mark. He scattered seven hits, allowed one run, walked just one, and fanned five. Senior righty
Reece Kleinhelter tossed the final three innings, allowing only one run on two hits, to earn his first save of 2021.
Flagler senior right-hander Kyle Morton (1-4) went the distance for the Saints.
The Saints opened the scoring in game number two with a pair of first-inning runs. Held to only one hit over the first four frames by Flagler freshman left-hander Daniel Fischer, FMU finally broke through against the Saints' bullpen in the fifth.
The Patriots loaded the bases with one out on singles by senior center field
Bill Hanna and Wakefield and a walk to Hardee. Mattox drove in his third run of the day when he was then hit by a pitch. After a pop out, Crepeau knotted the contest at 2-2 when he drew a walk forcing in Wakefield with the tying tally.
Flagler registered the go-ahead run in the seventh off graduate student righty
Christian Umphlett (1-1), who extended his program record for pitching appearances to 77. Pinch-hitter Myles Colangelo drilled a one-out ground-rule double that plated left fielder Chase Carney. The Saints would add three insurance runs in the eighth to lead 6-2.
FMU did get the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the ninth, but could not come up with the big hit. That rally included a hit by Crepeau and a pinch-hit single by Wilson High School product
Harrison Bigham, who was making his collegiate debut.
Hanna and Wakefield each collected two hits in the second contest. Mattox had his 8-game hitting streak snapped in game two, but he and Wakefield extended their streaks of consecutive games safely reaching base to 31 and 17 games respectively.
The two teams combined to strand 33 runs in game two: Flagler 17 and FMU 16.
Freshman right-hander Nick Phifer (1-0), the fifth of six Flagler hurlers, earned the win.
Francis Marion Univ. 5, Flagler College 2 (Apr 03, 2021 at Florence, SC) (Game 1)
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Flagler College..... 000 100 001 - 2 9 1 (7-18, 6-13 PBC)
Francis Marion Univ. 100 004 00X - 5 7 1 (12-10, 10-10 PBC)
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Pitchers: Flagler College - Kyle Morton and John Fiorenza. Francis Marion Univ. -
Weston Rogers;
Reece Kleinhelter(7) and
Daulton Dabbs.
Win-
Weston Rogers(3-3) Save-
Reece Kleinhelter(1) Loss-Kyle Morton(1-4) T-2:13 A-158
Weather: Sunny, 55, Winds NW 2 mph
Flagler College 6, Francis Marion Univ. 2 (Apr 03, 2021 at Florence, SC) (Game 2)
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Flagler College..... 200 000 130 - 6 12 1 (8-18, 7-13 PBC)
Francis Marion Univ. 000 020 000 - 2 8 1 (12-11, 10-11 PBC)
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Pitchers: Flagler College - Daniel Fischer; Jake Hill(5); Jett Walsh(5); Noah Allen(5);
Nick Phifer(6); Christian O'Kelly(9) and Griffin Garcia; Tyler Keith. Francis Marion Univ. -
Bailey Wendel;
Ethan Meece(2);
Joshua Collins(5);
Christian Umphlett(5);
Austin Moody(8);
Tyler Davis(8) and
Trystan Freeman.
Win-Nick Phifer(1-0) Loss-
Christian Umphlett(1-1) T-3:01 A-0
Weather: Sunny, 59, Winds W 2 mph
Wendel faced 1 batter in the 2nd.
Walsh faced 1 batter in the 5th.
