FLORENCE, SC – Francis Marion University got the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning, but could rally no further as the Patriots lost a 10-6 decision to Belmont Abbey College and were swept in their Saturday afternoon (Feb. 19) Conference Carolinas baseball doubleheader. The Crusaders won the opening seven-inning game 17-0.
Francis Marion (6-3, 1-2) will play at USC Aiken on Wednesday at 4 p.m. and will play a three-game conference series at North Greenville University next weekend.
In the second contest, FMU took a 3-2 in the bottom of the first inning when senior left fielder
Lex Tuten doubled in two runs and later scored on a sacrifice fly by graduate student second baseman
Tanner Wakefield.
An RBI-double by graduate student designated hitter
Darius Nobles and a run-scoring ground out by Wakefield knotted the score at 5-5 in the third. However, Belmont Abbey scored five unanswered runs to take a 10-5 advantage heading into the seventh-inning stretch.
Junior shortstop
Naphis Llanos trimmed the margin to 10-6 with an RBI single to center in the seventh. The Patriots would stand two runners in each of the seventh and eighth innings before leaving the bases loaded in the ninth.
Senior first baseman
Leniel Gonzalez led FMU with three hits and two runs scored, while senior center fielder
Bill Hanna, senior right fielder
Will Hardee, and Nobles all rapped out two hits. Senior third baseman
Todd Mattox walked in the opening frame to extend his consecutive games streak of safely reaching base to 52 contests.
Patriot sophomore
Connor Kirkley (2-1) started and was tagged with the loss despite fanning eight batter over five innings of work. Sophomore southpaw
Chas DeBruhl tossed 1.2 shutout innings in relief while allowing two hits, with no walks and one strikeout.
In Saturday's opener, sophomores Alex Sniffen (3-0) and Jake Craddock combined to throw a four-hit shutout for the Crusaders.
Freshman
Robbie Jordan (1-1) made the start for Francis Marion and took the loss.
At the plate, Mattox went 1-for-2 with a double, while Hardee, Wakefield, and senior infielder
Mickey Skole all had singles.
Belmont Abbey took a 3-0 first-inning lead on a three-run homer by Ben Ferguson. The Crusaders tallied seven runs in the third, highlighted by a three-run shot by Zach Aehlert.
GAME 1 NOTES
» Francis Marion pitchers faced 43 Belmont Abbey hitters in the game, allowing four ground balls and 11 fly balls while striking out six.
» The Patriots drew four walks from Belmont Abbey pitching.
» Mattox led the Patriots at the plate, going 1-for-2 with a double.
» Belmont Abbey was led offensively by junior Ben Ferguson, who went 2-for-3 with a home run and four RBIs.
» Sniffen led the Crusaders pitching staff, throwing six scoreless innings.
Belmont Abbey Coll. 17, Francis Marion Univ. 0 (Feb 19, 2022 at Florence, SC) (Game 1)
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Belmont Abbey Coll.. 307 011 5 - 17 14 0 (8-3, 1-1 CC)
Francis Marion Univ. 000 000 0 - 0 4 4 (6-2, 1-1 CC)
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Pitchers: Belmont Abbey Coll. - Alex Sniffen; Jake Craddock(7) and Zach Aehlert; Matty Bapst.
Francis Marion Univ. -
Robbie Jordan;
Jet Smith(3);
Brock Rodgers(6);
Bailey Wendel(7) and
Lex Tuten.
Win-Alex Sniffen(3-0) Loss-
Robbie Jordan(1-1) T-2:45 A-212
HR BELMON~1 - Ben Ferguson; Zach Aehlert.
Weather: Sunny, 52 degrees
Jordan faced 6 batters in the 3rd.
Br.Rodgers faced 3 batters in the 7th.
GAME 2 NOTES
» Senior
Leniel Gonzalez led the Patriots, picking up three hits in the ballgame.
» Kirkley fanned eight Crusaders hitters.
» Francis Marion's highest scoring inning was the first, when it pushed three runs across.
» Four Francis Marion hitters had multiple base knocks in the ballgame.
» Francis Marion left 14 runners stranded on base in the loss.
» Francis Marion pitchers faced 47 Belmont Abbey hitters in the game, allowing nine ground balls and six fly balls while striking out 10.
» The Patriots drew five walks from Belmont Abbey pitching.
» Tuten led the Patriots at the plate, going 1-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.
» Belmont Abbey was led offensively by junior Ben Gobbel, who went 2-for-6 with two home runs and five RBIs.
» Junior Trey Cruz led the Crusaders pitching staff, throwing one scoreless inning.
Belmont Abbey Coll. 10, Francis Marion Univ. 6 (Feb 19, 2022 at Florence, SC) (Game 2)
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Belmont Abbey Coll.. 230 012 200 - 10 13 2 (9-3, 2-1 CC)
Francis Marion Univ. 302 000 100 - 6 12 2 (6-3, 1-2 CC)
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Pitchers: Belmont Abbey Coll. - Brendan Simonds; Avery Short(3); Nic Aehlert(8); Trey Cruz(9)
and Matty Bapst. Francis Marion Univ. -
Connor Kirkley;
Ben Thornton(6);
Austin Moore(7);
Cory Poulsen(7);
Matt Dooley(8);
Chas DeBruhl(8) and
Isaac Schuck.
Win-Avery Short(1-0) Loss-
Connor Kirkley(2-1) T-3:15 A-0
HR BELMON~1 - Sean Johnson; Ben Gobbel 2.
Brendan Simo faced 1 batter in the 3rd.
