FLORENCE, SC – Sophomore first baseman Tyler Reynolds' two-out two-run single highlighted a five-run fifth inning and Francis Marion University rode the strong pitching of a trio of hurlers to claim a 5-2 win over Catawba College, Monday afternoon (Feb. 13) on the second day of the 2023 Pepsi Invitational Baseball Tournament.
 
Francis Marion concluded the tournament by playing USC Beaufort at 5 p.m. on Monday.
 
Sophomore right-hander Robbie Jordan tossed five scoreless innings before departing.  He has not allowed an earned run in 11 innings this season.  Senior righty Matt Dooley (2-0) came on in relief and despite surrendering two runs in 2.1 innings earned the win.
 
Patriot senior righty Ben Thornton relieved Dooley in the eighth and escaped a bases-loaded jam, and then pitched a scoreless ninth, to earn his first save of 2023.
 
Catawba threatened in the top of third with runners on second and third with one out.  Patriot freshman catcher Tucker Raburn then caught a runner attempting to steal third and on the next pitch Catawba designated hitter Logan Rogers singled to right field, but FMU senior Will Hardee threw out the Catawba runner attempting to score from second.
 
FMU threatened in the bottom of the fourth with runners on the corners and one out, but Catawba southpaw Brandon Rodgers (1-1) induced an inning-ending double play grounder.
 
The Patriots finally dented the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth with five runs, four of which were unearned due to a pair of Indian errors.  The tallies came home on a wild pitch, an RBI-fielder's choice grounder by freshman third baseman Charlie Bussey III, a two-out throwing error, and a two-run single to right by Reynolds.
 
Hardee was the lone Patriot with multiple hits as he went 2-for-4.  Second baseman Jackson Finger led Catawba with a 3-for-4 day at the plate.

 
 
Francis Marion Univ. 5, Catawba College 2 (Feb 13, 2023 at Florence, SC)
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Catawba College...... 000 000 110  -  2 11  3      (4-2)
Francis Marion Univ. 000 005 00X  -  5  6  1      (3-3)
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Pitchers: Catawba College - Brandon Rodgers; Cole Hales(6) and Jackson Price; Aaron Williams.
Francis Marion Univ. - Robbie Jordan; Matt Dooley(6); Ben Thornton(8) and Tucker Rabun.
Win-Matt Dooley(2-0)  Save-Ben Thornton(1)  Loss-Brandon Rodgers(1-1)  T-2:18  A-137
Weather: Sunny,65,Winds E@7 mph