BELMONT, NC –  Francis Marion University could not complete the late rally in the top of the ninth as they fell to Belmont Abbey College 8-6, Friday evening (March 24) in Conference Carolinas baseball action.
 
Francis Marion (13-18, 7-9) will return to Abbey Yard tomorrow, Saturday (March 25) to complete the series with a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.
 
Sophomore right-hander Robbie Jordan (2-3) was tagged with the loss on the hill tossing four innings and giving up four earned runs on eight hits. Junior reliever Danny Leo came in the fifth throwing three innings of work, giving up two earned runs on two hits, and fanning two Crusaders. Sophomore righty Josh Adams closed out the game, going one inning with no hits or runs allowed.
 
Sophomore first baseman Kollin Crepeau led the Patriots at the plate with three hits, while both junior outfielder Zack Summerville and junior shortstop Blake Falor picked up two hits. Falor led with two runs batted in, while four other Patriots picked up one RBI.
 
Freshmen third baseman Charlie Bussey III, along with both senior right fielder Will Hardee and senior catcher Isaac Schuck, had one hit at the dish.
 
The late rally began in the top of the ninth with FMU trailing 8-5. Crepeau created a bases-loaded situation with a single through the right side. Representing the go-ahead run at the plate, graduate student Tanner Wakefield scored one Patriot off a sacrifice fly. The Crusaders would stop the rally with a groundout.
 
The Patriots started the engine early in the top of the first inning after Hardee cracked a double into right centerfield, but freshmen second baseman Peyton Starkey was tagged out at the plate trying to score. Crepeau penciled an RBI single into left field scoring Hardee to lead 1-0.
 
Belmont Abbey answered with a bases-loaded single through the right side in the second tying the score at 1-1. The Crusaders followed up in the third with a two-run homer down the right-field line to stretch the advantage to 3-1.
 
FMU grabbed two base runners to begin the fourth after two walks with one out. Schuck lined an RBI-single up the middle to score one shrinking the margin to 3-2. Bussey III would give the Patriots a bases-loaded situation again after another walk, then Falor squeaked a single through the right side to score two and FMU reclaimed the lead at 4-3.
 
The Crusaders responded in the fourth, first tying the score at 4-4 on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly. BAC then scored two more in the frame, one after a throwing error and another on an RBI-single through the right side to lead 6-4.
 
Two singles with no outs in the seventh gave Francis Marion an opportunity to tie the game. Sophomore outfielder Caleb Oakley came in to pinch hit and knocked down a sacrifice bunt to move up the two Patriots. Falor then scored to cut the Crusader lead to one at 6-5 after Hardee reached on a fielding error.
 
The Crusaders added two insurance runs with a two-run double to extend the lead to 8-5.
 
Junior right-hander Myles Hedgecock (2-0) picked up the win, tossing 2.2 scoreless innings with one hit allowed, while junior closer Jake Craddock secured his second save for the Crusaders (20-9, 7-9).
 
 
Belmont Abbey 8, Francis Marion 6 (3/24/2023 at Belmont, N.C.)
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Francis Marion...... 100 300 101  -  6 10  1      (13-18, 7-9)
Belmont Abbey....... 012 300 20X  -  8 10  1      (20-9, 7-9)
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Pitchers: Francis Marion - Robbie Jordan; Danny Leo(5); Josh Adams(8) and . Belmont Abbey -
G. Smith; M. Hedgecock(4); D. Stegura(7); J. Craddock(8) and .
Win-M. Hedgecock(2-0)  Save-J. Craddock(2)  Loss-Robbie Jordan(2-3)  T-2:58  A-234
HR BAC - B. Ferguson.
Weather: 83, partly cloudy, NE 14