TIGERVILLE, SC – Junior right fielder Tanner Cannon drilled a two-run double and junior shortstop Peyton Wilson hit a three-run homer in a five-run ninth inning that lifted Francis Marion University to a 6-3 upset of third-ranked North Greenville University on Friday (Apr.12) afternoon. The game also featured FMU turning its first triple play in 14 seasons.
 
Francis Marion improves to 16-22 overall with its second straight win and to 7-15 in conference play, while North Greenville drops to 30-9 and 16-6.  The two squads will play a doubleheader on Saturday at noon.
 
Wilson and Cannon paced the Patriots with two hits each.  Four other Patriots recorded one hit apiece as FMU outhit the Crusaders 8-4.
 
Sophomore right-handed hurler Josh Adams (3-4) was credited with the win while tossing 51 pitches and recording four strikeouts over three innings and NGU's Brent Stuckes (3-2) was charged with the loss.
 
Sophomore left fielder Caleb Oakley led off the Francis Marion first by driving a shot up the middle for a base hit. Following a sacrifice bunt by sophomore third baseman Peyton Starkey that moved Oakley into scoring position, senior centerfielder Zack Summerville singled home Oakley for a 1-0 lead.
 
FMU stranded runners in scoring position in each of the next three frames, but could not build on the 1-0 advantage.  However, FMU senior left-hander Chas DeBruhl limited NGU to one hit through six innings.
 
The Crusaders finally answered with an RBI-single by first baseman David Lewis in the seventh.  However, the Patriots got out of the inning by turning an around the horn 5-4-3 play – its first triple play since turning a triple play in each game of a 2010 doubleheader at UNC Pembroke.
 
In the top of the ninth inning, junior designated hitter Noah Stout reached second base on an error. Sophomore pinch runner Jake Hardee entered the game in place of Stout and junior first baseman Kollin Crepeau was walked.  Cannon followed with a double to left field to plate both Hardee and Crepeau.
 
After junior catcher Hunter Looper, Oakley laid down a sacrifice bunt to move up Cannon and Looper. Wilson then homered deep over left field wall to widen the margin to 6-1.
 
North Greenville was able to score two runs in the ninth before being retired by Adams.
 
 
Francis Marion 6, #3 North Greenville 3 (Apr 12, 2024 at Tigerville, SC)
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Francis Marion...... 100 000 005  -  6  8  1      (16-22, 7-15 CC)
North Greenville.... 000 000 102  -  3  4  3      (30-9, 16-6 CC)
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Pitchers: Francis Marion - Chas DeBruhl; Josh Adams(7) and Hunter Looper. North Greenville - Jake Monroe; Brent Stukes(6); Ian Squires(9) and Brett Blomquist.
Win-Josh Adams (3-4)  Loss-Brent Stukes (3-2)  T-2:34  A-151
HR FMU - Peyton Wilson (3).
Weather: 64 Degrees, Very Windy, Cloudy
DeBruhl faced 3 batters in the 7th.