ORANGEBURG, SC – Three Patriots registered three hits each as Francis Marion University defeated Claflin University 17-4 on Tuesday (Feb. 20) afternoon, advancing its overall record to 7-3.
 
Francis Marion opens Conference Carolinas league action on Friday (Feb. 23) in the first of three games against UNC Pembroke. The first pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. in Sparrow Stadium. 
 
Senior outfielder Zack Summerville, junior first baseman Kollin Crepeau, and second baseman Owen Taylor all recorded three hits as the Patriots outhit the Panthers 15-9. Sophomore outfielder Caleb Oakley was the only Patriot to tally two hits, while junior shortstop Peyton Wilson, freshman shortstop Collin Minshew, junior outfielder Tanner Cannon, and junior catcher Nick LaVigne listed one hit each. Wilson extended his hitting streak to eight games.
 
In the first inning, Wilson walked and Summerville quickly emptied the bases with a home run over right field.  Crepeau walked and was plated by a single to left field from Taylor, putting the Panthers in a 3-0 deficit.
 
Claflin answered with two runs of their own in the bottom of the first.
 
Another home run, this time from Taylor, posted two more runs for FMU as he drove in  Crepeau. The Patriots recorded one more run in the top of the third inning on a sacrifice fly from Wilson. FMU widened the gap to 6-2 in the fourth.
 
FMU tallied one more run in the fifth inning, with LaVigne crossing home plate on a single to right field from Wilson. To finish, Francis Marion scored 10 unanswered runs between the seventh (1), eighth (6), and ninth inning (3).
 
Patriot pitcher Brennan Murphy (2-2) evened his record as he picked up his second win of the 2024 season. Junior left-handed pitcher Malik Frails struck out the side in the ninth.
 
Jaden Lattimore (0-1) of Claflin University took the loss as the Panthers dropped to 1-9.
 
 
Francis Marion 17, Claflin 4 (Feb 20, 2024 at Orangeburg, S.C.)
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Francis Marion...... 303 010 163  - 17 15  0      (7-3)
Claflin............. 200 110 000  -  4  9  3      (1-9)
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Pitchers: Francis Marion - Brennan Murphy; Tyson Hall(6); Parker Henderson(8); Malik Frails(9) and Nick LaVigne; Brody Sanders. Claflin - LATTIMORE,J; LOEB,A(5); MACK,A(8) and BAILEY,M.
Win-Brennan Murphy (2-2)  Loss-LATTIMORE,J (0-1)  T-2:40  A-66
HR FMU - Zack Summerville (1); Owen Taylor (2).
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