Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 FLORENCE, S.C. – Senior third baseman
Blake Falor delivered a two-out run-scoring single to center field in the bottom of the sixth inning to lift Francis Marion University to a 4-3 victory over Belmont Abbey College on Saturday (March 2) and to a split of its Conference Carolinas baseball doubleheader. The Crusaders won the opener 6-1.
Francis Marion (10-6, 3-2) and Belmont Abbey (8-8, 5-3) will conclude their three-game series with a single game on Monday at 4 p.m. in Sparrow Stadium.
In the second contest, junior second baseman
Owen Taylor ripped a two-run single to put the Patriots up 2-0 in the first inning. A sacrifice fly from junior shortstop
Peyton Wilson upped the advantage to 3-0 in the second inning.
Solo homers by the Crusaders' Caleb Burr and Jack Boyles in the third trimmed the margin to 3-2. Burr homered again in the fifth off Patriot starter
Josh Adams to knot the score at 3-3. Adams went 5.2 innings and allowed eight hits, while fanning two.
With two outs in the bottom of the sixth, junior right fielder
Tanner Cannon singled and stole second base and sophomore catcher
Hunter Looper walked. Falor then drilled a 0-1 offering from Hunter Hill (0-1) to center field giving FMU a 4-3 lead in the seven-inning contest.
Graduate student right-hander
Jack Hegan pitched around a two-out single in the seventh to earn his third save of 2024. Junior righty
Tyler Gall (1-0) got the final out of the sixth inning to register his first win.
In game one, FMU senior starter
Chas DeBruhl (2-1) blanked the Crusaders for the first four frames. Despite stranding six runners over the opening three innings, the Patriots did take a 1-0 advantage in the fourth when junior catcher
Nick LaVigne walked and eventually came around to score on a fielder's choice grounder off the bat of sophomore center fielder
Caleb Oakley.
The Crusaders answered back with single runs in the fifth and sixth and two runs in both the seventh and ninth innings.
DeBruhl surrendered two runs on five hits over his six innings, and he struck out three.
FMU was limited to only four hits by Belmont Abbey pitchers Josh Collett and Drew Stegura (2-2).
Belmont Abbey Coll. 6, Francis Marion Univ. 1 (Mar 02, 2024 at Florence, SC) (Game 1)
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Belmont Abbey Coll.. 000 011 202 - 6 10 0 (8-7, 5-2 CC)
Francis Marion Univ. 000 100 000 - 1 4 2 (9-6, 2-2 CC)
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Pitchers: Belmont Abbey Coll. - Josh Collett; Drew Stegura(4) and Justin Herrera.
Francis Marion Univ. -
Chas DeBruhl;
Connor Kirkley(7);
Braxton Elms IV(7);
Malik Frails(9) and
Nick LaVigne.
Win-Drew Stegura (2-2) Loss-
Chas DeBruhl (2-1) T-2:35 A-177
Weather: Foggy,62, WNW 4 MPH
Francis Marion Univ. 4, Belmont Abbey Coll. 3 (Mar 02, 2024 at Florence, SC) (Game 2)
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Belmont Abbey Coll.. 002 010 0 - 3 9 1 (8-8, 5-3 CC)
Francis Marion Univ. 210 001 X - 4 7 0 (10-6, 3-2 CC)
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Pitchers: Belmont Abbey Coll. - Spencer Cipro; Frankie Barrett(2); Hunter Hill(6);
Thomas Paxton(6) and Justin Herrera. Francis Marion Univ. -
Josh Adams;
Tyler Gall(6);
Jack Hegan(7) and
Hunter Looper.
Win-
Tyler Gall(1-0) Save-
Jack Hegan(3) Loss-Hunter Hill(0-1) T-2:00
HR BAC - Jack Boyles (2); Caleb Burr 2 (4).
Weather: Overcast,62
