FLORENCE, SC – Junior shortstop Peyton Wilson paced Francis Marion University with three hits and four runs batted in, but the Patriots lost the series finale 13-8 to 17th-ranked Seton Hill University on Sunday (Feb. 18) afternoon.
 
Francis Marion (6-3) will travel to Orangeburg, S.C., on Tuesday (Feb. 20) to play Claflin University at 3:30 p.m.
 
FMU junior catcher Hunter Looper followed Wilson's three hits with two of his own, while junior second baseman Owen Taylor, and outfielders Caleb Oakley, Zack Summerville, and Tanner Cannon registered one hit each.
 
Driving in three runs apiece, left fielder Jared Dowey and catcher Jakob Haynes led the Griffins (1-2).
 
Francis Marion took an early lead over Seton Hill, recording four runs in the bottom of the second inning. The Patriots picked up their first run on a bases-loaded walk from pitcher Brandon Bergert. With a single through the middle, Wilson plated Oakley and junior first baseman Aiden Bisbano, widening the margin to 3-0. As junior catcher Zack LaVigne sat in scoring position, Cannon lined a ball into right-center and tallied the RBI to take a 4-0 lead.
 
Both Francis Marion and Seton Hill recorded one run apiece in the fourth and fifth innings, so the score was 6-2 as the teams entered the top of the sixth inning.
 
Seton Hill tied the game at 6-6 with a four-run outburst in the top of the sixth, but FMU responded with a double down the left field line from Wilson that plated both Looper and Oakley to regain the lead at 8-6.
 
Seton Hill went on to score seven unanswered runs in the final three innings, overtaking the Patriots and pulling ahead by five runs (13-8).
 
Junior pitcher Hunter Herlong (0-1) made his first appearance on the mound and was tagged with the loss. He was one of eight Patriot pitchers to step on the mound for Francis Marion.
 
Michael Marinchak (1-0) of Seton Hill picked up his first win of the season.

 
 
#17 Seton Hill Univ. 13, Francis Marion Univ. 8 (Feb 18, 2024 at Florence, SC)
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Seton Hill Univ..... 000 114 133  - 13 11  2      (1-2)
Francis Marion Univ. 040 112 000  -  8  9  0      (6-3)
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Pitchers: Seton Hill Univ. - Brandon Bergert; Jon McCullough(2); Michael Marinchak(6);
Evan Rossi(9) and Jakob Haynes; Cameron Colwell. Francis Marion Univ. - Danny Leo;
Donavan Accerbi(6); Tyson Hall(6); Braxton Elms IV(6); Jackson Campbell(7); Hunter Herlong(7); Tyler Gall(8); Nate Calloway(9) and Nick LaVigne; Hunter Looper.
Win-Michael Marinchak (1-0)  Loss-Hunter Herlong (0-1)  T-2:58  A-146
Weather: Sunny,44,N 2 MPH
J.Campbell faced 2 batters in the 7th.
Herlong faced 2 batters in the 8th.