FLORENCE, SC – Francis Marion University split its Conference Carolinas baseball doubleheader with Emmanuel College on Saturday afternoon (Mar. 18) as the Patriots fell in game one 4-3, but secured the second contest 9-4 with a four-run outburst in the seventh inning.
 
Francis Marion drops the series two-games-to-one and moves to 13-16 overall and 7-8 in league play. The Patriots will travel for a non-conference game at Augusta University on Tuesday (Mar. 21) at 3 p.m.
 
In game one, FMU junior southpaw Chas DeBruhl got the start on the rubber and tossed 5.1 innings, allowing seven hits, two earned runs, no walks, and five strikeouts. Sophomore right-hander Josh Adams threw 1.2 innings and finished the contest, giving up no hits or runs, and striking out two.
 
Graduate student left fielder Tanner Wakefield led the Patriots with two runners batted in, and grabbed a hit along with six other Patriots. Junior shortstop Blake Falor secured the other RBI for FMU while Wakefield, sophomore first baseman Kollin Crepeau, and senior catcher Isaac Schuck crossed home plate.
 
The Lions registered two singles in the top of the first inning before a failed pickoff attempt allowed one Emmanuel base runner and left another Lion on third base. Emmanuel would score that runner in the next at-bat on a sacrifice fly from Nick Dietsch to lead 2-0.
 
Emmanuel put runners on first and second yet again in the second inning, and loaded the bases after a bunt from Kyle LaCross down the third-base line. The Lions then scored one runner on a fielder's choice RBI by Braeden Eavenson and scored another run after a sacrifice fly by Cody Minnis to stretch their advantage to 4-0.
 
Wakefield cut the Lion lead to 4-1 after crushing his second home run of the season over the left centerfield wall in the bottom of the third inning. A bases-loaded walk issued to Falor in the fourth, followed by an RBI-groundout by Wakefield left Emmanuel with a 4-3 lead.
 
A Schuck walk and a hard-hit single by Falor to second base put Patriots on the corners in the bottom of the sixth, but a double play would snuff out the rally. Emmanuel would record another double play in the seventh to secure the game-one win.
 
Emmanuel reliever Clifford Brown (2-0) picked up the win in game one, while Ethan Pooler registered his third save of the season getting the final six outs.
 
In game two, Patriot junior reliever Connor Kirkley (1-1) picked up his first win of the season by tossing 2.1 innings, allowing no runs, giving up two hits, walking three, and striking out three Lions.
 
Sophomore reliever Tyler Reynolds picked up his first career save as he recorded the final four outs, giving up only one hit, and fanning one. Reynolds got FMU out of a crucial bases-loaded situation in the eighth.
 
FMU senior right-hander Matt Dooley got the start and threw 5.1 innings with four strikeouts.
 
Every Patriot in the lineup recorded a hit, including multi-hit days from Falor, Llanos, senior right fielder Will Hardee, and junior centerfielder Zack Summerville. Llanos, Crepeau, and Schuck recorded two RBIs apiece.
 
After Llanos reached on a fielding error and Hardee fired a single into left field, Summerville logged a single through the right side to score Llanos and put Patriots on the corners for a 1-0 lead in the first. FMU's Creapeu connected on a sacrifice bunt to score Hardee and stretch the lead to 2-0.
 
After Charlie Bussey III and Falor secured second-inning singles, Wakefield's fly out moved the two Patriots into scoring position, which led to an RBI-single from Llanos plating Bussey III.
 
FMU drove in another run in the fourth when the Patriots had two runners on base and scored one off a throwing error by the Lion's shortstop, extending their lead to 4-0.
 
Emmanuel brought in pinch-hitter Chan Haulk in the sixth inning with the bases loaded and he tied the game at 4-4 on a one-out grand slam home run to left-centerfield.
 
Francis Marion responded with two singles from Hardee and Summerville in the seventh before Crepeau squeezed a shot down the left-field line to score one. A wild pitch followed to score another Patriot and give FMU a 6-4 lead. A two-run homer from Schuck, which landed in the left centerfield trees, extended the Patriot lead to 8-4.
 
The Patriots added one insurance tally in the ninth off an RBI-single from Llanos to right centerfield.
 
Emmanuel reliever Dosie Drakeford (1-1) was tagged with the loss in the final game, tossing 3.1 innings for the Lions.

 
 
Emmanuel College 4, Francis Marion Univ. 3 (Mar 18, 2023 at Florence, SC) (Game 1)
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Emmanuel College.... 220 000 0 -  4  7  0      (14-11, 6-5 CC)
Francis Marion Univ. 001 200 0 -  3  7  2      (12-16, 6-8 CC)
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Pitchers: Emmanuel College - Simon Boggie; Clifford Brown(4); Ethan Pooler(6) and
Zachary Bergstrom. Francis Marion Univ. - Chas DeBruhl; Josh Adams(6) and Isaac Schuck.
Win-Clifford Brown (2-0)  Save-Ethan Pooler(3)  Loss-Chas DeBruhl(4-3)  T-2:04  A-72
HR FMU - Tanner Wakefield (2).
Weather: cloudy, 54, winds SE @10 mph
 
Francis Marion Univ. 9, Emmanuel College 4 (Mar 18, 2023 at Florence, SC) (Game 2)
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Emmanuel College.... 000 004 000  -  4  9  2      (14-12, 6-6 CC)
Francis Marion Univ. 210 100 41X  -  9 14  1      (13-16, 7-8 CC)
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Pitchers: Emmanuel College - Colby Fields; Dosie Drakeford(4); Barrett Barkley(7);
Miles Dodds(8) and Nick Dietsch. Francis Marion Univ. - Matt Dooley; Connor Kirkley(6);
Tyler Reynolds(8) and Isaac Schuck.
Win-Connor Kirkley(1-1)  Save-Tyler Reynolds(1)  Loss-Dosie Drakeford(1-1)  T-2:42  A-0
HR ECBB23 - Chan Haulk (1).
HR FMU - Isaac Schuck (1).
Weather: Cloudy, 59, winds SE @ 9mph
C. Fields faced 2 batters in the 4th.