DUE WEST, SC – Francis Marion University split its Conference Carolinas baseball doubleheader with Erskine College on Saturday afternoon (Mar. 4) as the Patriots claimed game-one 13-5, but fell 21-2 in the second contest.
 
Francis Marion wins the series two-games-to-one and moves to 10-9 overall and 6-3 in league play.  The Patriots will host a pair of non-conference games this week: USC Aiken on Tuesday at 6 p.m. and Lake Erie College on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
 
In the opener, the top four batters in the Patriot line-up combined to go 11-of-15 with eight runs scored, and 12 runs batted in.
 
Graduate student right fielder Will Hardee led the way as he went 4-for-5 with a run scored and four RBIs.  Junior designated hitter Alex Elliott was 2-for-3 with four driven in, senior second baseman Naphis Llanos was 3-for-3 with four runs scored and three RBIs, and junior center fielder Zack Summerville went 2-for-4 with three runs scored and one RBI.
 
The Patriots built a 9-0 advantage after five-and-a-half innings behind a strong start from junior left-hander Chas DeBruhl (4-1).  The Kershaw, S.C., native tossed 5.2 innings and allowed four runs on four hits with a pair of strikeouts.  Junior righty Connor Kirkley finished up the contest, recording the final four outs.
 
In the second contest, FMU took a 1-0 lead in the first when Hardee and Elliott both singled with one out and Hardee scored on a two-out Erskine error.  The Flying Fleet responded with five tallies in the bottom of the first.
 
The Patriots crept to within 5-2 when Wakefield doubled home Llanos in the top of the third.  Erskine pushed across a single run in the fourth, before exploding for 11 runs in the last of the fifth.
 
Junior righty Danny Leo (0-1) made his first start as a Patriot and took the loss.  Freshman third baseman Charlie Bussey III was the lone FMU player with multiple hits in the second game as he went 2-for-2.
 
 
Francis Marion 13, Erskine 5 (3/4/2023 at Due West, SC) (Game 1)
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Francis Marion...... 301 401 4 - 13 13  0      (10-8, 6-2)
Erskine.................. 000 004 1 -  5  6  1      (11-6, 3-4)
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Pitchers: Francis Marion - Chas DeBruhl; Connor Kirkley(6) and Tucker Rabun. Erskine - C. Guest;
N. Pazos(4); C. Hadwin(7) and .
Win-Chas DeBruhl (4-1)  Loss-C. Guest (1-1)  T-2:13  A-0
HR FMU - Zack Summerville.
HR ERSKINE - A. Smith; T. Bacon.
 
Erskine 21, Francis Marion 2 (3/4/2023 at Due West, SC) (Game 2)
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Francis Marion...... 101 00   0 000  -  2 10  1      (10-9, 6-3 CC)
Erskine.................. 500 1(11)0 40X  - 21 15  3      (12-6, 4-4 CC)
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Pitchers: Francis Marion - Danny Leo; Jack Hegan(2); Luke Allain(5); Cory Poulsen(5);
Adam Creswell(5); Toddie Stocks(5); Matt Dooley(7) and Tucker Rabun, Peyton Britt.
Erskine - J. Guell; D. Vos(6); C. Harrison(7); I. Clifton(8); D. Woodruff(9) and A. Becerra; D. Wade.
Win-J. Guell (2-0)  Loss-Danny Leo (0-1)  T-3:08  A-112
HR ERSKINE - C. Rivera; Francis, Jr.