FLORENCE, SC – Freshman right-handed pitcher
Robbie Jordan registered his first career complete game as Francis Marion University posted a 6-2 win over Coker University on Sunday afternoon (March 13) to complete a sweep of the three-game baseball series. FMU won Sunday's opener 8-3 as graduate student left fielder
Lex Tuten rapped out three hits and scored four times.
Francis Marion, now 13-8, will play at Lander University on Tuesday at 5 p.m. The Patriots will return home to host Erskine College for a three-game Conference Carolinas series next weekend beginning with a single game on Friday at 6 p.m.
Jordan (3-1) gave up two runs, both earned, on 10 hits, while walking one and striking out two in the seven-inning contest.
At the plate, Tuten and graduate student left fielder
Tanner Wakefield both went 2-for-3 with a run scored and one driven in. Senior third baseman
Todd Mattox walked and doubled to extend his streak of safely reaching base to 64 games dating back to 2020.
An RBI-double by Tuten and a sacrifice fly from senior center fielder
Bill Hanna – his third of the series – staked FMU to a 2-0 lead in the second. A run-scoring single to right by Cobra first baseman Kody Hanna trimmed the margin to 2-1 in the top of the third.
In the bottom half of the frame, Francis Marion pushed across two runs to lead 4-1. Freshman shortstop
Tyler Reynolds and Wakefield each delivered RBI-singles. The margin increased to 5-1 when senior right fielder
Will Hardee scampered home on a two-out Coker error. Mattox scored the Patriots' final run in the sixth when the Cobras committed a fielding error.
Coker southpaw Chris Watkins (2-3) started and took the loss as he allowed four runs. Hanna, left fielder Reilly Hall, and shortstop Phil Griffor each recorded two hits at the top of the Cobra line-up. Griffor finished the three-game series with nine hits.
In game one, the Patriots registered 14 hits. Following Tuten's three hits, four Patriots collected two hits apiece: junior infielder
Naphis Llanos, Mattox, Wakefield, and junior catcher
Isaac Schuck. Seven different Patriots picked up an RBI.
Senior righty
Nick Palumbo (1-1) picked up the victory out of the bullpen with two scoreless innings. Senior
Daniel Twitty also tossed a scoreless frame.
Both teams scored single runs in the opening inning. FMU took the lead for good with two runs in the second as Hanna drilled a sacrifice fly and Llanos laced an RBI-single to left center field.
The margin grew to 3-1 when Wakefield singled home Tuten in the third. The two squads traded single runs in the fifth, before Coker drew to within 5-3 in the sixth as Griffor stroked a run-scoring single up the middle.
The Patriots scored twice in the seventh as Hanna scored on a passed ball and Mattox plated Hardee with an RBI-single through the left side. FMU added an insurance run in the eighth when Tuten doubled with one out and scored on a two-out single to left field by Schuck.
Cobra right-hander Zack Hinson (0-1), the first of six Coker hurlers, was tagged with the loss. Griffor went 4-of-5, while third baseman Brady Jeffcoat and second baseman Andrew Scudder each had two hits.
Francis Marion Univ. 8, Coker University 3 (Mar 13, 2022 at Florence, SC) (Game 1)
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Coker University.... 100 011 000 - 3 11 2 (7-16)
Francis Marion Univ. 121 010 21X - 8 14 1 (12-8)
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Pitchers: Coker University - Zack Hinson; D. Higuet(3); Nolan Leger(3); Matt Hyatt(5);
Garrett Dunn(7); Ethan Graham(8) and Eli Hopkins. Francis Marion Univ. -
Matt Dooley;
Reece Kleinhelter(5);
Daniel Twitty(7);
Nick Palumbo(8) and
Isaac Schuck.
Win-
Nick Palumbo(1-1) Loss-Zack Hinson(0-1) T-3:13 A-150
Weather: Clear,Sunny,Cold,42,Winds E@3
GAME 1 NOTES
» Tuten picked up three base hits in the game for Francis Marion.
» Francis Marion's highest scoring inning was the seventh, when it pushed two runs across.
» The Patriots had control of the rest of the game after moving ahead of the Cobras 3-1 in the bottom of the second.
» Five Patriots had multiple hits in the ballgame.
» The Patriots out-hit the Cobras at a 14-11 clip.
» Francis Marion went 7-for-15 (.467) with runners in scoring position.
» Francis Marion pitchers limited Coker to just 2-for-17 (.118) with runners in scoring position.
» Francis Marion pitchers faced 41 Coker hitters in the game, allowing eight ground balls and 12 fly balls while striking out four.
» The Patriots drew five walks from Coker pitching.
» Hardee led the Patriots at the plate, going 1-for-2 with a double and an RBI.
» Coker was led offensively by senior Phil Griffor, who went 4-for-5 with two doubles and an RBI.
» Senior Matt Hyatt led the Cobras pitching staff, throwing two innings of two-run ball.
Francis Marion Univ. 6, Coker University 2 (Mar 13, 2022 at Florence, SC) (Game 2)
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Coker University…... 001 000 1 - 2 10 4 (7-17)
Francis Marion Univ. 022 101 X - 6 10 1 (13-8)
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Pitchers: Coker University - Chris Watkins; Cooper Thomas(3); Britton Adams(5);
Garrett Dunn(6); Reid Watkins(6) and Bryan Castillo. Francis Marion Univ. -
Robbie Jordan and
Lex Tuten.
Win-
Robbie Jordan(3-1) Loss-Chris Watkins(2-3) T-2:27 A-0
Weather: Clear,Sunny,53,Winds NE@9 mph
GAME 2 NOTES
» Francis Marion's highest scoring inning was the third, when it pushed two runs across.
» The Patriots had control of the rest of the game after moving ahead of the Cobras 2-0 in the bottom of the second.
» Jordan put together seven innings of two-run ball for the Patriots.
» Francis Marion pitchers limited Coker to just 2-for-10 (.200) with runners in scoring position.
» Francis Marion pitchers faced 31 Coker hitters in the game, allowing 12 ground balls and five fly balls while striking out two.
» The Patriots drew six walks from Coker pitching.
» Tuten led the Patriots at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI.
» Coker was led offensively by senior Reilly Hall, who went 2-for-4 with a double.
