FLORENCE, SC – Senior leftfielder
Zack Summerville registered three hits and three runs batted in, including the game-winning sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth inning, as Francis Marion University claimed a 7-8 victory over 12th-ranked Newberry College on Saturday (Jan. 3) afternoon.
FMU (2-0) will go for the three-game series sweep with the teams conclude the series on Sunday (Jan. 4) at Newberry's Smith Road Complex. The first pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.
Summerville was followed by sophomore outfielder
Caleb Oakley and junior shortstop
Peyton Wilson with two hits apiece as Francis Marion outhit Newberry 10-6. Oakley, Wilson, and Summerville batted one-two-three in the Patriot line-up.
Summerville's first hit came as he plated Wilson with a double down the left-field line, tying the score at 1-1 in the first inning. With a wild pitch from Bennett Roemer, Summerville moved into scoring position at third base and scored on a ground out by junior outfielder
Tanner Cannon.
The Patriots advanced their lead by another three runs (5-2) in the third as Cannon hit a sacrifice fly and junior first baseman
Kollin Crepeau hit a two-run double that just missed the home run mark as it bounced off the fence in right-center. With another RBI hit from Summerville in the fourth, Francis Marion took a 6-3 lead.
Francis Marion held a 6-4 lead going to the eighth inning, but the gap was short-lived as a wild pitch and a passed ball allowed both Newberry's K.J. Leshko and Donovan Ford to score, tying the game at 6-6.
In the bottom of the eighth, FMU sophomore catcher
Hunter Looper and Oakley singled and moved into scoring positions at second and third after a sacrifice bunt by Wilson. Summerville stepped back into the batter's box for the final time and hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield, bringing home Looper with the go-ahead run.
Francis Marion sophomore right-handed hurler
Tyson Hall (1-0) took his first win of the season, as he pitched the final two innings. He was the last of four Patriot pitchers.
Centerfielder Donovan Ford and right fielder Jacob LeBron led the Wolves with two hits. LeBron also drove in two runs, while Hunter French (0-1) was the losing pitcher.
Francis Marion Univ. 7, Newberry College 6 (Feb 03, 2024 at Florence, SC) (Game 2)
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Newberry College.... 110 101 020 - 6 6 0 (0-2)
Francis Marion Univ. 203 100 01X - 7 10 0 (2-0)
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Pitchers: Newberry College - Bennett Roemer; Hunter French(6); Trevor Linaman(8) and Rhett Jolly
. Francis Marion Univ. -
Tyler Gall;
Connor Kirkley(2);
Donavan Accerbi(5);
Tyson Hall(8) and
Hunter Looper.
Win-
Tyson Hall (1-0) Loss-Hunter French (0-1) T-2:45 A-258
Weather: Sunny,51,Winds SW@10 MPH
Accerbi faced 1 batter in the 8th.
