GREENWOOD, SC – Lander University ran away with a 10-2 win over Francis Marion University, Tuesday night (April 18) in the Patriot's final non-conference baseball contest of the regular season.
 
Francis Marion (24-21) will play its final Conference Carolinas regular-season series at 9th-ranked University of Mount Olive.  The series will start on Friday (Apr. 21) with a single contest at 6 p.m. and conclude with a doubleheader Saturday (Apr. 22) at 1 p.m.
 
The Patriots are currently in fifth place in the conference standings and remain two games back of fourth-place Barton College.
 
Graduate student second baseman Tanner Wakefield, senior third baseman Naphis Llanos, and freshman designated hitter Charlie Bussey III each went 2-for-4 at the plate to lead FMU. Senior right fielder Will Hardee, junior catcher Tucker Rabun, and sophomore center fielder Caleb Oakley grabbed a hit apiece.
 
Hardee extends his now 17-game hitting streak and streak of safely reaching base to 29 games, and he creeps within seven of the school's career hits record of 287.
 
Patriot junior right-hander Danny Leo (0-3) earned the start, but took the tough loss among seven Patriot pitchers. Senior Jack Hegan tossed 1.1 innings in relief, allowing one run on two hits, and fanning four batters. Senior relievers Austin Moore and Luke Allain both allowed no hits, while striking out one batter on the rubber.
 
Lander sophomore righty Anson Merrick (1-0) allowed one hit over two innings to secure the win for the Bearcats (19-24). 
 
The Bearcats jumped in front in the bottom of the third inning plating five runs on four hits. Lander's run began with an RBI single to right by Lucas Martino to lead 1-0 and later with two outs, a bases-loaded situation was presented. A three-run double to the right center wall by Tyler Prell stretched the advantage to four before an RBI-single from Matthew Burgess capped the inning at 5-0.
 
A double from Hardee down the right field paint sparked the fourth inning for Francis Marion. The Patriots penciled their first run after Wakefield scored Hardee with a single to left field to cut into the Bearcat lead at 5-1. Lander reclaimed the five-run lead after scoring on a wild pitch in the fourth leading 6-1.
 
With two Bearcat runners in scoring position in the fifth, a groundout would score one followed by an RBI-single from Gary Garrett to left extending their lead to 8-1. A passed ball in the sixth scored another Lander base runner for a 9-1 margin. The Bearcats tallied one more in the eighth on a sacrifice fly.
 
Llanos would score on a sacrifice fly to left field from Rabun in the ninth to shrink the Lander advantage to 10-2.
 
 
Lander 10, Francis Marion 2 (4/18/2023 at Greenwood, S.C.)
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Francis Marion...... 000 100 001  -  2  9  1      (24-21)
Lander……............ 005 121 01X  - 10 11  2      (19-24)
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Pitchers: Francis Marion - Danny Leo; Jack Hegan(3); Cory Poulsen(5); Connor Kirkley(6); Austin Moore(6); Luke Allain(7); Malik Frails(8) and Tucker Rabun. Lander - Michael Nastro; A. Merrick(5);
Zach Pellegrino(7); Evan Mauldin(8); Tyler Bowen(9) and Prell and Murphy.
Win-A. Merrick (1-0)  Loss-Danny Leo (0-3)  T-2:58  A-152
Weather: 80, Sunny