FLORENCE, SC -- Five Francis Marion University pitchers combined for 14 strikeouts, as the Patriots completed a 2-game series sweep of Shepherd University, winning 7-1 on Wednesday afternoon (March 2) in non-conference baseball action.
 
Francis Marion (9-6) will play a three-game Conference Carolinas series against Barton College this weekend in Wilson, N.C., beginning with a single game on Saturday at 2 p.m.
 
Senior Daniel Twitty (1-0) picked up his first win of the season out of the bullpen. The right-hander went two shutout innings while giving up one hit, allowing one walk and striking out one batter. Junior right-hander Austin Moore also pitched two shutout innings, while allowing two hits, with one walk and four strikeouts.
 
Senior third baseman Todd Mattox led the way offensively for the Patriots going 2-for-3 with a triple and two run batted in. He extended his streak of safely reaching base to 58 games. Senior designated hitter Leniel Gonzalez went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI.
 
Trailing 1-0, the Patriots battled from behind and grabbed their first run in the first inning. A double down the right field line by Gonzalez would bring home senior right fielder Will Hardee.  Hardee had previously doubled himself.
 
Francis Marion held the Rams without a run for the rest of the game.  An RBI-triple to right center field by Mattox in the third put Francis Marion up 2-1.
 
The Patriots plated five runs in the fourth to complete the scoring. Junior second baseman Naphis Llanos drove in a pair with a single up the middle.  Senior center fielder Bill Hanna drove in one with an RBI-grounder, another scored on a Rams' fielding error, and Mattox singled through the left side to score Hardee.
 
Shepherd starter Chris Chaney (0-3) took the loss.
 
FMU southpaw Chas DeBruhl started and went three innings. He allowed one run on four hits with five strikeouts.   Senior righties Cory Poulsen and Brock Rodgers each pitched a scoreless inning and struck out three and one batters respectively.

 
 
Francis Marion Univ. 7, Shepherd University 1 (Mar 02, 2022 at Florence, SC)
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Shepherd University. 100 000 000  -  1  8  1      (4-6)
Francis Marion Univ. 101 500 00X  -  7  9  0      (9-6)
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Pitchers: Shepherd University - Chris Chaney; Adam Miller(4); Nate Hodgkinson(6);
Ryan Bywaters(7) and Andrew Edwards. Francis Marion Univ. - Chas DeBruhl; Cory Poulsen(4); Daniel Twitty(5); Austin Moore(7); Brock Rodgers(9) and Lex Tuten.
Win-Daniel Twitty(1-0)  Loss-Chris Chaney(0-3)  T-2:48  A-110
Weather: clear, 74, 3 mph winds north
 
GAME NOTES
» Gonzalez had three base knocks in the game for Francis Marion.
» Sophomore Chas DeBruhl struck out five Rams hitters.
» The Francis Marion pitching staff combined to strike out 14 Shepherd hitters.
» Francis Marion's highest scoring inning was the fourth, when it pushed five runs across.
» Francis Marion took the lead at 2-1 in the bottom half of the third and never lost that advantage.
» The Patriots out-hit the Rams at a 9-8 clip.
» Francis Marion went 6-for-12 (.500) with runners in scoring position.
» Francis Marion pitchers limited Shepherd to just 2-for-11 (.182) with runners in scoring position.
» Francis Marion pitchers faced 39 Shepherd hitters in the game, allowing five ground balls and six fly balls while striking out 14.
» Mattox led the Patriots at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a triple and two RBIs.
» Shepherd was led offensively by junior Cole Daugherty, who went 2-for-4 with a double.
» Ryan Bywaters led the Rams pitching staff, throwing two scoreless innings.