FRANKLIN SPRINGS, GA – Graduate student designated hitter Darius Nobles and senior left fielder Tanner Wakefield combined for nine hits, seven runs scored, and five runs batted in as Francis Marion University powered its way to a 15-3 win over Emmanuel College in game one of Saturday's Conference Carolinas baseball doubleheader.  Not to be out done, in game two senior third baseman Todd Mattox and senior right fielder Will Hardee combined for eight hits, five runs, and five RBIs to help complete the sweep with a 14-6 victory.
 
Francis Marion, now 17-11 overall and 7-8 in conference play, will play host to Queens University of Charlotte on Wednesday at 6 p.m. on Cormell Field at Sparrow Stadium. This is the program's annual Greeks at the Game contest.
 
In game one on Saturday, Nobles was 5-for-5 with four runs scored and three driven in, and he came within a double of becoming only the fifth Patriot to hit for the cycle.  The five hits were one shy of the Patriot single-game record, which has been accomplished twice. Wakefield was 4-for-5 with two doubles, three runs scored, and two RBIs.
 
Graduate student catcher Lex Tuten added three hits and three RBIs, while junior second baseman Naphis Llanos had two hits, a double, and a run batted in.
 
Freshman righty Robbie Jordan (4-2) started on the mound and picked up the win.  The Florence native pitched five innings, giving up only one earned run on four hits, while walking five walks and striking out six. Senior right-hander Reece Kleinhelter tossed two scoreless innings in relief to complete the 7-inning contest.
 
A three-run homer by Nobles, his 11th round-tripper of the year, and an RBI-single by Tuten staked FMU to a 4-0 lead in the first.  A three-run homer by senior first baseman Leniel Gonzalez in the second upped the advantage to 7-0.
 
After the Lions (12-20, 4-11) scored twice in the third to trim the margin to 7-2, the Patriots scored three times in the fourth.  Wakefield doubled home a run and senior center fielder Bill Hanna and Llanos registered run-scoring singles.
 
Emmanuel plated a single run in the bottom of the fourth to get within 10-3, but FMU scored five unanswered runs over the next two frames to seal the victory.
 
Simon Boggie (1-3) started and took the loss for the Lions.
 
After rapping out 17 hits in the opener, Francis Marion totaled 20 hits in second contest.
 
Mattox was 4-for-5 with a double, a run scored, and four RBIs, while Hardee was 4-for-6 with two doubles, four runs scored, and one driven in.  Mattox extended his streak of safely reaching base to 71 contests, 18 shy of the NCAA Division II record.
 
Gonzalez chipped in three hits and an RBI, while three Patriots had two hits: Wakefield, Tuten, and Hanna.
 
Junior right-hander Matt Dooley started and went four innings, giving up three runs on seven hits.  Senior righty Daniel Twitty (2-0) earned the win in relief with three scoreless frames.
 
The Patriots scored in six different innings on the way to the win.  FMU scored twice in the opening frame on an RBI-single by Mattox and a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch from Wakefield.  The advantage doubled in the second inning as both Mattox and Gonzalez singled home runs.
 
The Lions scored the game's next three runs to trim the deficit to 4-3 after four.  However, Francis Marion took control by scoring four times in the fifth all with two outs – two on an error, one on a wild pitch, and the final tally on an RBI single off the bat of Mattox.
 
Colby Fields (0-5), the first seven Emmanuel pitchers, took the loss.
 
FMU's Nobles finished the series 8-for-13 with two homers and eight RBIs, while Wakefield was 9-for-14 with three doubles and three runs batted in.
 
 
Francis Marion 15, Emmanuel Lions 3 (Mar 26, 2022 at Franklin Springs GA) (Game 1)
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Francis Marion...... 430 341 0 - 15 17  3      (16-11, 6-8)
Emmanuel Lions....002 100 0 -  3  7  1      (12-19, 4-10)
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Pitchers: Francis Marion - Robbie Jordan; Reece Kleinhelter(6) and Lex Tuten; Josh Cowan.
Emmanuel Lions - Simon Boggie; K. Zimmer(2); H. Ferguson(5); B. Hudson(6) and Y. Saint; B. McGee; V. Antinori.
Win-Robbie Jordan (4-2)  Loss-Simon Boggie (1-3)  T-2:50  A-60
HR FMU - Leniel Gonzalez; Darius Nobles.
Weather: Sunny, 57 Degrees
 
GAME 1 NOTES
» Francis Marion got at least four hits from both Nobles and Wakefield.
» Jordan struck out six Lions hitters.
» The Patriots had both Wakefield and Nobles crush multiple extra-base hits in the ballgame.
» Three different Patriots drove in three runs. » Every Francis Marion starter reached base safely in the win.
» Francis Marion's highest scoring inning was the fifth, when it pushed four runs across.
» Francis Marion grabbed a 4-0 lead in the top half of the first and didn't surrender that lead for the remainder of the game.
» Four Patriots had multiple hits in the ballgame.
» The Patriots had a total of 17 hits.
» The Patriots out-hit the Lions at a 17-7 clip.
» Francis Marion went 9-for-18 (.500) with runners in scoring position.
» Francis Marion pitchers limited Emmanuel (GA) to just 2-for-11 (.182) with runners in scoring position.
» Francis Marion pitchers faced 37 Emmanuel (GA) hitters in the game, allowing six ground balls and six fly balls while striking out nine.
» The Patriots drew six walks from Emmanuel (GA) pitching.
» Nobles led the Patriots at the plate, going 5-for-5 with a triple, a home run and three RBIs.
» Emmanuel (GA) was led offensively by sophomore B. Campbell, who went 2-for-2 with a double and an RBI.
» Senior B. Hudson led the Lions pitching staff, throwing two innings of one-run ball.
 
 
Francis Marion 14, Emmanuel Lions 6 (Mar 26, 2022 at Franklin Springs GA) (Game 2)
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Francis Marion...... 220 041 320  - 14 20  3      (17-11, 7-8)
Emmanuel Lions... 001 200 030  -  6 13  2      (12-20, 4-11)
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Pitchers: Francis Marion - Matt Dooley; Daniel Twitty(5); Ben Thornton(8); Nick Palumbo(8) and
Isaac Schuck. Emmanuel Lions - C. Fields; C. Brown(1); T. Mayfield(2); K. Heuchert(3);
H. Parks(5); T. Campbell(7); R. Smith(9) and Y. Saint.
Win-Daniel Twitty (2-0)  Loss-Colby Fields (0-5)  T-4:00  A-50
Weather: Sunny, 60 Degrees
H. Parks faced 2 batters in the 7th.
 
GAME 2 NOTES
» Francis Marion got four-hit games from both Mattox and Hardee.
» The Patriots power output was led by Hardee, who had two extra base hits in the ballgame.
» Mattox drove in four runs for Francis Marion.
» Every Francis Marion starter reached base safely in the win.
» Francis Marion's highest scoring inning was the fifth, when it pushed four runs across.
» Francis Marion grabbed a 2-0 lead in the top half of the first and didn't surrender that lead for the remainder of the game.
» Six Patriots had multiple hits in the ballgame.
» The Patriots had a total of 20 hits.
» The Patriots out-hit the Lions at a 20-13 clip.
» Francis Marion went 9-for-21 (.429) with runners in scoring position.
» Francis Marion pitchers faced 45 Emmanuel (GA) hitters in the game, allowing five ground balls and 13 fly balls while striking out seven.
» The Patriots drew six walks from Emmanuel (GA) pitching.
» Mattox led the Patriots at the plate, going 4-for-5 with a double and four RBIs.
» Emmanuel (GA) was led offensively by senior L. Patty, who went 4-for-5 with two RBIs.
» Junior T. Mayfield led the Lions pitching staff, throwing one shutout inning.