FLORENCE, SC – Senior second baseman Naphis Llanos collected a pair of hits and drove in two runs to back the strong pitching of three Francis Marion University hurlers as the Patriots defeated top-ranked and previously unbeaten North Greenville University 6-3, Saturday afternoon (Feb. 25) in Conference Carolinas baseball action.
 
Francis Marion (7-7, 4-2) salvaged the final game of the three-game series and will host a pair of non-conference home contests this week: Tuesday against Lander University at 4 p.m. and Wednesday against Bridgeport University at 6 p.m.
 
North Greenville (13-1, 5-1), the defending NCAA Division II national champion, sees its 18-game winning streak snapped.  It also marked the second consecutive year that FMU has beaten the defending national champs after downing second-ranked Wingate 8-0 in 2022, a year after the Bulldogs won the title.

Llanos finished the day 2-for-3, while junior center fielder Zack Summerville was 2-for-2 with three walks a run scored.
 
Junior southpaw Chas DeBruhl (3-1) went the first five innings and earned the win.  He allowed only two runs on four hits with two strikeouts.  Senior right-handed relievers Matt Dooley and Ben Thornton finished up.  Dooley surrendered one run on four hits with two strikeouts in 2.2 innings.  Thornton earned his second save by recording the final four outs, two of them by strikeout.  FMU did not walk a batter on Saturday.
 
The Patriots grabbed an early 2-0 lead on a two-out, two-run single by graduate student left fielder Tanner Wakefield that was lined just inside the first base bag and down the right field line.  Singles by Summerville and Llanos proceeded that clutch hit.
 
The margin doubled in the second inning.  Sophomore designated hitter Cole Teply led off with a single and senior catcher Isaac Schuck drew a walk.  Both runners moved up on a sacrifice bunt by junior shortstop Blake Falor, and Teply scampered home on a wild pitch.  Llanos later plated Schuck with a fielder's choice infield grounder.
 
Solo homers by NGU center fielder Marek Chlup and third baseman Pat Monteith in the fourth cut the margin in half.  However, FMU answered back in the bottom of the frame with a two-out, run-scoring single down the right field line by Llanos, and the Patriots led 5-3.
 
A two-out, single by Schuck that eluded a diving right fielder scored freshman third baseman Charlie Bussey III and upped the advantage to 6-2 in the fifth.
 
Two singles led off the NGU eighth inning, but on the second hit, FMU graduate student right fielder Will Hardee threw out the runner at third with a very impressive throw.  The Crusaders later loaded the bases in the frame, but only scored once and that came on a two-out wild pitch.
 
Thornton retired North Greenville in order in the ninth.
 
Crusader freshman lefty Caleb Cox (0-1) took the loss as he surrendered the first four runs.  Designated hitter John Michael Faile and Monteith both had two hits for North Greenville.

 
 
Francis Marion Univ. 6, #1 North Greenville U. 3 (Feb 25, 2023 at Florence, SC)
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North Greenville U.. 000 200 010  -  3  8  0      (13-1, 5-1 CC)
Francis Marion Univ. 220 110 00X  -  6  8  0      (7-7, 4-2 CC)
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Pitchers: North Greenville U. - Caleb Cox; Brody Fowler(2); Connor Brinson(5);
Michael Rodriguez(6); Dawson Taylor(8) and Jax Cash. Francis Marion Univ. - Chas DeBruhl;
Matt Dooley(6); Ben Thornton(8) and Isaac Schuck.
Win-Chas DeBruhl (3-1)  Save-Ben Thornton (2)  Loss-Caleb Cox (0-1)  T-2:37  A-206
HR NGU - Marek Chlup (5); Pat Monteith (4).
Weather: 55 degrees,cloudy,3mph winds W