FLORENCE, SC -- Junior catcher Isaac Schuck racked up four hits, scored three runs, and drove in a pair to help power Francis Marion University to a 10-4 victory over local-rival Coker University, Saturday (March 12) in non-conference baseball action.
 
Francis Marion improves to 11-8, while Coker drops to 7-15.  Saturday was to have been a doubleheader, but the two squads decided pre-game that due to the wet field conditions they would play only one contest.  They will now conclude the weekend series with a doubleheader on Sunday at 1 p.m. on Cormell Field at Sparrow Stadium.
 
Sophomore right-hander Halton Hardy (3-0) earned the win as he went seven innings, giving up three runs (two earned) on 12 hits, while allowing no walks and striking out five.
 
Senior righty Cory Poulsen pitched the final two frames for FMU.
 
Schuck lacked only a home run from being the fifth Patriot in the 50-year history of the program to hit for the cycle. 
 
Senior designated hitter Leniel Gonzalez was 3-for-5 with a run scored and two RBIs. Three other Patriots had two-hit days: graduate student first baseman Darius Nobles, senior right fielder Will Hardee, and junior second baseman Naphis Llanos.
 
FMU senior third baseman Todd Mattox reached base three times via a walk, hit-by-pitch, and an error to extend his streak of safely reaching base to 62 games.
 
The Patriots got on the board in the bottom of the first when Hardee reached on a fielding error and later scored on an RBI-single to center by Gonzalez.  The Cobras tied the game at one with an unearned run in the third.
 
A two-out, run-scoring double by freshman shortstop Tyler Reynolds pushed FMU back ahead in the fifth.  The advantage grew to 3-1 in the sixth when Schuck doubled, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by senior center fielder Bill Hanna, and scored on a two-out error by the Cobras.
 
The Patriots then scored six runs in the seventh to take a commanding 9-1 lead.  Two runs came home on a triple to right center field by Schuck, while Hanna recorded a sacrifice fly, Gonzalez singled home a run, and two runners scored on a Coker fielding error.
 
Coker got within 9-3 in the eighth on RBI-hits by first baseman Kody Hanna and catcher Bryan Castillo, but the Patriots answered with another insurance tally in the bottom of the frame when Schuck scored on a wild pitch.
 
Coker right-hander Triston Fowler (2-1), making his first start of 2022, was tagged with the loss.
 
Saturday was the first meeting between the two neighboring schools since 2011.

 
 
Francis Marion Univ. 10, Coker University 4 (Mar 12, 2022 at Florence, SC)
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Coker University…... 001 000 021  -  4 14  4      (7-15)
Francis Marion Univ. 100 011 61X  - 10 16  2      (11-8)
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Pitchers: Coker University - Triston Fowler; Brendan Mullins(5); Jonathan Ford(7);
Tanner Wofford(7); Collin Breland(8) and Bryan Castillo. Francis Marion Univ. - Halton Hardy;
Cory Poulsen(8) and Isaac Schuck.
Win-Halton Hardy (3-0)  Loss-Triston Fowler (2-1)  T-3:03  A-100
Weather: overcast, 50, 17 mph winds se
Hardy faced 4 batters in the 8th.
 
GAME NOTES
» Schuck collected four hits on the day for Francis Marion.
» Hardy struck out five Cobras hitters.
» The Patriots power output was led by Schuck, who had two extra base hits in the ballgame.
» Every Francis Marion starter reached base safely in the win.
» Francis Marion's highest scoring inning was the seventh, when it pushed six 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.
» Five Patriots had multiple hits in the ballgame.
» The Patriots had a total of 16 hits.
» The Patriots out-hit the Cobras at a 16-14 clip.
» Francis Marion pitchers faced 41 Coker hitters in the game, allowing 12 ground balls and seven fly balls while striking out six.
» The Patriots drew five walks from Coker pitching.
» Schuck led the Patriots at the plate, going 4-for-5 with a double, a triple and two RBIs.
» Coker was led offensively by senior Phil Griffor, who went 3-for-5 with a double.
» Senior Triston Fowler led the Cobras pitching staff, throwing 4.2 innings of two-run ball.