AUGUSTA, GA – Senior outfielder Austin Bunn broke a ninth-inning deadlock with a sacrifice fly and senior second baseman Owen Taylor added a pivotal insurance run with a bases-loaded walk as Francis Marion University remained unbeaten with an 8-7 road win over Augusta University, Tuesday afternoon (Feb. 11) in non-conference baseball action.
 
Francis Marion (8-0) begins Conference Carolinas play on the road on Friday (Feb. 14) against the University of Mount Olive with a doubleheader that starts at 12 p.m. The final game of the series will be played on Saturday (Feb. 15) at 12 p.m. (PLEASE NOTE THE SCHEDULE CHANGES DUE TO FORECASTED WEATHER).
 
FMU senior shortstop Rayth Petersen went 3-for-5, and extended his hitting streak to eight games, including five multi-hit games, to pace the Patriots.   Senior left-fielder Caleb Oakley also recorded three hits, while driving in two runs and stealing two bases.
 
The Jaguars (1-8) were the first to take the lead as Aiden Cannaday scored Parker Ingram with a single to right field to go up 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning.
 
The Patriots knotted the score at 1-1 in the top of the fourth inning as Taylor drove home Oakley with an RBI ground out. Oakley began the sequence with a lead-off double down the left field line and advanced to third as junior third baseman Jimmy Koza laid down a sacrifice bunt.
 
Patriot junior catcher Hunter Looper laced a hit to left center for two bases on the first pitch he saw in the top of the fifth. The Patriots then took a 2-1 lead as Petersen singled to left field.
 
Still in the fifth, back-to-back walks to junior center fielder Will Dorrell and Bunn put the Patriots in scoring position. After stealing third and an error from the Jaguars, Dorrell scored for a 3-1 advantage.  Junior first-baseman Charlie Bussey III drove in Bunn as he singled through the middle and the Patriots extended their lead to 4-1 before the side was retired.
 
Augusta added five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to retake the lead at 6-4.
 
With two outs in the top of the seventh inning, Oakley plated both Dorrell and Bunn with a base hit up the middle to tie the game at 6-6.
 
Petersen led off the top of the ninth inning as he doubled down the left field line to get into scoring position. As Dorrell grounded out to the shortstop, Petersen advanced to third and was driven in on the sacrifice fly by Bunn for a 7-6 advantage.
 
On a bases-loaded walk, Taylor was awarded his second RBI as Francis Marion had a two-run advantage of 8-6. The Jaguars were able to score one in the bottom of the ninth before being retired.
 
Freshman right-handed pitcher Jackson Madden (2-0) tallied his second win of the season after pitching three innings and striking out three. Senior right hander Danny Leo started and pitched 4.1 innings with six strikeouts.
 
After throwing 1.2 innings and allowing three hits, Landon Skeen (0-1) was charged with his first loss.