FLORENCE, SC – Graduate student Darius Nobles delivered three hits and drove in four runs to power Francis Marion University to an 11-1 win over Limestone University on Sunday (Feb. 6) and a sweep of their three-game weekend series.
 
The Patriots (3-0) outscored the Saints 41-4 in the three contests.  Francis Marion will play a pair of neutral site games at Lander University on Friday, against Queens University of Charlotte at 11 a.m. and North Greenville University at 3 p.m.
 
Senior right fielder Will Hardee went 3-for-5 and senior center fielder Bill Hanna went 2-for-5, each with two extra-base hits.
 
Sophomore Connor Kirkley (1-0) got the win as the right-hander went six shutout innings, giving up four hits, no walks and striking out seven. Junior righty Matt Dooley also pitched well, going two innings, surrendering one run on one hit, walking one and striking out four.
 
Hanna's two extra-base hits included a double, a triple and an RBI. Hardee made his contribution with two doubles and two RBIs, while junior infielder Naphis Llanos also recorded two hits and an RBI.
 
For the third contest in a row, the Patriots scored in six different innings. Francis Marion broke a 0-0 tie and took the lead for good at 1-0 in the first inning on a Limestone error with junior Isaac Schuck at the plate that brought home Hardee.
 
Hanna and junior left fielder Jack Hegan stroked back-to-back RBI-hits to highlight a three-run fourth inning that staked the Patriots to a 4-0 margin.  Nobles' three-run homer to center extended the FMU lead to 8-0 in the sixth.
 
Limestone starter Garrett Sutton (0-1) took the loss as he surrendered four runs on seven hits.
 
GAME NOTES
» Francis Marion got three-hit games from both Hardee and Nobles.
» Kirkley struck out seven Saints hitters.
» The Patriots had both Hardee and Hanna smack multiple extra-base hits in the ballgame.
» Nobles drove in four runs for Francis Marion.
» Every Francis Marion starter reached base safely in the win.
» The Francis Marion pitching staff combined to strike out 13 Limestone hitters.
» Francis Marion's highest scoring inning was the sixth, when it pushed three runs across.
» Francis Marion took a 1-0 lead in the bottom half of the first and didn't surrender that lead for the remainder of the game.
» Kirkley put together six innings of scoreless ball for the Patriots.
» Four Patriots had multiple hits in the ballgame.
» The Patriots had a total of 15 hits.
» The Patriots out-hit the Saints at a 15-7 clip.
» Francis Marion went 7-for-22 (.318) with runners in scoring position.
» Francis Marion pitchers limited Limestone to just 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position.
» Francis Marion pitchers faced 35 Limestone hitters in the game, allowing 10 ground balls and three fly balls while striking out 13.
» Nobles led the Patriots at the plate, going 3-for-5 with a home run and four RBIs.
» Limestone was led offensively by sophomore Clark Burroughs, who went 4-for-4 with a home run and an RBI.
» Freshman Noah Barozzino led the Saints pitching staff, throwing one inning of one-run ball.