FRANKLIN SPRINGS, GA – Emmanuel College scored 17 runs over the first four innings and cruised to a 19-8 victory over Francis Marion University, Friday evening (March 25) in Conference Carolinas baseball action.
 
Francis Marion (15-11, 5-8) and Emmanuel (11-18, 4-9) will conclude their three-game series with a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m.
 
Senior second baseman Tanner Wakefield led FMU with three hits, while graduate student first baseman Darius Nobles had two hits, a homer, and drove in four runs.  Senior third baseman Todd Mattox went 2-for-4 and extended his streak of safely reaching base to 69 games, 19 shy of the NCAA Division II record.
 
The Lions scored once in the first and then plated nine runs in the second to knock FMU sophomore right-handed starter Halton Hardy (3-1) out of the game.  Four other hurlers followed Hardy.
 
Trailing 17-0 in the fifth inning, the Patriots got on the board when graduate student left fielder Lex Tuten led off with a double and later scored on an RBI-ground out by senior center fielder Bill Hanna.
 
FMU added a second tally in the sixth when junior shortstop Naphis Llanos drew a lead-off walk and later scored on a run-scoring single by Nobles.  The Patriots plated six runs in the seventh, all crossing the plate with two outs.  A trio of RBI-singles by Llanos, Mattox, and senior designated hitter Leniel Gonzalez proceeded a three-run homer by Nobles, his 10th long ball of the season.
 
Emmanuel starter Jake Denham went six innings to earn the win.
 
 
Emmanuel Lions 19, Francis Marion 8 (Mar 25, 2022 at Franklin Springs Ga)
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Francis Marion......... 000 011 600  -  8 13  4      (15-11, 5-8)
Emmanuel Lions...... 193 402 00X  - 19 21  1      (11-18, 4-9)
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Pitchers: Francis Marion - Halton Hardy; Chas DeBruhl(2); Brock Rodgers(4); Jack Hegan(5);
Bailey Wendel(6) and Isaac Schuck; Josh Cowan. Emmanuel Lions - Jake Denham; Braden Henle(7); Ryan Smith(8) and Yeshua Saint; Vinny Antinori.
Win-Jake Denham (1-0)  Loss-Halton Hardy (3-1)  T-3:07  A-25
HR FMU - Darius Nobles (10).
Weather: Cloudy, 59 Degrees
 
GAME NOTES
» Tanner Wakefield led the Patriots, compiling three base hits in the ballgame.
» Darius Nobles drove in four runs for the Patriots.
» Francis Marion's highest scoring inning was the seventh, when it pushed six runs across.
» Francis Marion went 6-for-13 (.462) with runners in scoring position.
» Francis Marion pitchers faced 51 Emmanuel (GA) hitters in the game, allowing nine ground balls and seven fly balls while striking out six.
» Nobles led the Patriots at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs.
» Emmanuel (GA) was led offensively by sophomore B. Campbell, who went 4-for-5 with a double and four RBIs.
» Senior Jake Denham led the Lions pitching staff, throwing six innings of two-run ball.