FLORENCE, SC – The Francis Marion University baseball team celebrated its nine seniors as the Patriots split with 16th-ranked University of Mount Olive in the last Conference Carolinas doubleheader of the season on Saturday (Apr. 27) afternoon. The Patriots defeated the Trojans 2-0 in game one, but fell 11-6 in game two.
Francis Marion secured the ninth seed in the Conference Carolinas Tournament that begins on Wednesday (May 1). FMU is set to play eighth-seeded Erskine College at 1 p.m. in Gastonia, N.C., at CaroMont Health Park.
Senior designated hitter Alex Elliot played a key role in the Patriot offense as he drove both runs in game one. The contest was only Elliot's 15th appearance this season.
Junior shortstop
Peyton Wilson and junior second baseman
Owen Taylor also recorded one hit apiece as Mount Olive held a two-hit advantage (5-3) over Francis Marion (18-29, 9-21).
Francis Marion's biggest scoring opportunity arose in the second frame, but came up short as UMO first baseman Vito Patierno caught a line drive to leave the bases loaded.
Beginning the second half of the fourth inning, junior right fielder
Noah Stout and Taylor made their way to the bases off a walk and hit by pitch. A passed ball moved the runners up to second and third. A pair of strikeouts followed before Elliot stepped into the batter's box.
On the third pitch delivered, Elliott hit a two-RBI single back up the middle to score both Stout and Taylor for a 2-0 advantage.
Francis Marion held on to the two-run lead for the remainder of the contest, with senior southpaw
Chas DeBruhl (4-5) being credited with the win. He threw five scoreless innings, allowing only four hits and no walks with two strikeouts.
Senior righty
Connor Kirkley tossed a scoreless sixth, as he worked around a hit and a walk. Senior right-hander
Jack Hegan earned his fourth save by retiring the Trojans in order in the seventh and final inning.
Mount Olive starter Ethan Imbimbo (6-3) was slapped with the loss despite a complete-game effort.
Wison continued his hot hitting into game two as he tallied three hits, including two doubles, and registered two RBIs. Sophomore left fielder
Caleb Oakley and junior right fielder
Tanner Cannon also tallied three hits apiece, while junior first baseman
Ryder Christensen recorded two hits in his first start of the season.
Despite the loss, Francis Marion outhit Mount Olive 15-13.
Mount Olive (34-14, 20-9) snapped its 16-inning dry spell by scoring seven runs in the top of the first inning of game two.
In response, Oakley tripled down the right field line before scoring on a wild pitch and closing the gap to 7-1 in the bottom of the first.
UMO added two runs in the top of the second inning and one in the third to widen the margin to 10-1.
Francis Marion scored single runs in the third and fifth frames (both on Wilson RBI-doubles) to cut down the lead to seven. The Trojans scored once again in the top of the sixth inning to hold an 11-3 lead.
Entering the second half of the sixth inning, Cannon hit a double into left field and quickly came home as Mount Olive's third baseman bobbled a grounder from senior third baseman
Blake Falor. The Patriots left the sixth inning with one runner on base and trailing 11-4.
In the bottom of the eighth, Cannon singled through the left side and reached second on a wild pitch. An infield single from freshman catcher
Brody Sanders scored Cannon cutting down the Trojan's lead to six runs. As Oakley was hit by a pitch and Sanders moved into scoring position at second base, Hegan hit a double that got trapped in the left field wall putting the ground rule double into effect. With this motion, Sanders scored Francis Marion's sixth and final run.
The Patriot bullpen held Mount Olive to just one earned run over the final six innings to give Francis Marion a chance to come back. Despite the good effort, senior right-handed pitcher
Brennan Murphy (3-3) took the loss after only throwing 34 pitches and giving up seven runs. Mount Olive's Grayson Linderman (3-1) claimed the win as he allowed three hits and one run.
Francis Marion Univ. 2, #16 Univ. of Mount Olive 0 (Apr 27, 2024 at Florence, SC) (Game 1)
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Univ. of Mount Olive 000 000 0 - 0 5 0 (33-14, 19-9 CC)
Francis Marion Univ. 000 200 X - 2 3 1 (18-28, 9-20 CC)
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Pitchers: Univ. of Mount Olive - Ethan Imbimbo and Case Kermode. Francis Marion Univ. -
Chas DeBruhl;
Connor Kirkley(6);
Jack Hegan(7) and
Hunter Looper.
Win-
Chas DeBruhl(4-5) Save-
Jack Hegan(4) Loss-Ethan Imbimbo(6-3) T-1:47 A-272
Weather: Partly Cloudy, 76, SSE 9 MPH
#16 Univ. of Mount Olive 11, Francis Marion Univ. 6 (Apr 27, 2024 at Florence, SC) (Game 2)
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Univ. of Mount Olive 721 001 000 - 11 13 3 (34-14, 20-9 CC)
Francis Marion Univ. 101 011 020 - 6 15 2 (18-29, 9-21 CC)
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Pitchers: Univ. of Mount Olive - Carson Gipson; Greyson Linderman(3); Hayden Myrick(6);
Justin Koehler(7); Aiken Minton(8); Andrew Ledbetter(9) and Mike Kenney. Francis Marion Univ. -
Brennan Murphy;
Tyson Hall(1);
Tyler Burgess(2);
Hunter Herlong(3);
Dylan Wiegel(4);
Donavan Accerbi(6);
Malik Frails(7);
Nick Boswell(8) and
Nick LaVigne;
Brody Sanders.
Win-Greyson Linderman(3-1) Loss-
Brennan Murphy(3-3) T-3:10 A-0
Weather: Partly Cloudy, 77, SE 9 MPH
Hall faced 2 batters in the 2nd.
