FLORENCE, SC – In a midweek match-up against USC Aiken, Francis Marion University fell to the Pacers 10-9 on Wednesday (Feb. 28), as USCA rallied from behind with a five-run eighth inning.
 
The Patriots (9-5) will return to Conference Carolinas action on Friday (Mar. 1) for the first of a three-game series against Belmont Abbey College. Game time is set for 6 p.m.  Games two and three will follow on Saturday (Mar. 2) with a start time of 1 p.m.
 
Sophomore center fielder Caleb Oakley led Francis Marion with three hits, while junior second baseman Owen Taylor had two hits and senior left fielder Zack Summerville drove in two. Five other Patriots tallied one hit apiece.
 
USC Aiken (4-10) was the first to score as Brock Myers singling up the middle to plate Bradley White II for a 1-0 lead in the second inning.  In the bottom of the frame, FMU junior catcher Nick LaVigne tied the game with an RBI fielder's choice grounder.
 
The Patriots then went on to score five unanswered runs over the third and fourth innings for a 6-1 lead. Two came in the third as Summerville plated a run with an RBI grounder and Taylor delivered a run-scoring bunt single.  In the fourth, senior third baseman Blake Falor ripped an RBI single to right-center field after LaVigne had tripled.  Falor scored on a ground out by Summerville and junior designated hitter Noah Stout followed with a run-scoring single.
 
USC Aiken right fielder Dalton Graves smacked a three-run homer in the top of the fifth inning to draw the Pacers within 7-4.  Summerville walked and later came around to score on a wild pitch in the sixth to put the Patriots up 8-4.  Both teams scored single runs in the seventh to leave a 9-5 margin.   Oakley scored on a sacrifice fly from junior shortstop Peyton Wilson to account for the Patriot tally.
 
In the top of the eighth inning, USC Aiken scored five runs to overtake Francis Marion 10-8. FMU answered with a single run in the bottom of the eighth inning, when Oakley was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
 
FMU freshman lefty Dylan Wiegel (0-1) was tagged with the loss, while Pacer reliever Jared Huse (1-0) picked up the win.
 
 
USC Aiken 10, Francis Marion Univ. 9 (Feb 28, 2024 at Florence, SC)
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USC Aiken............... 010 030 150  - 10 15  4      (4-10)
Francis Marion Univ. 012 301 110  -  9 10  2      (9-5)
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Pitchers: USC Aiken - Derek Espinoza; Jacob Bodkin(4); Evan Condon(4); Lucas Highberger(6);
Jared Huse(7) and Kaden Usry. Francis Marion Univ. - Tyler Burgess; Donavan Accerbi(3);
Tyson Hall(5); Dylan Wiegel(8); Hunter Herlong(8); Jack Hegan(8); Tyler Gall(9) and Nick LaVigne
; Hunter Looper.
Win-Jared Huse (1-0)  Loss-Dylan Wiegel (0-1)  T-3:13  A-112
HR USCA - Dalton Graves (1).
Weather: Fair,76, SW 19 mph
Herlong faced 2 batters in the 8th.