FLORENCE, SC – Senior southpaw
Rijnaldo Euson tossed seven shutout while fanning six batters as Francis Marion University beat Barton College 9-1 and earned a split of Saturday's (Feb. 22) Conference Carolinas baseball doubleheader. The Bulldogs won the second game 8-7.
The Patriots (11-3, 2-3) and Bulldogs (8-7, 3-2) will return to Sparrow Stadium on Sunday (Feb. 23) afternoon at 1 p.m. to complete the three-game series.
FMU sophomore first baseman
Charlie Bussey III improved his batting average of .457 after pacing the Patriots with two hits in each game. He also drove in two runs in the opener, while senior shortstop
Rayth Petersen recorded his ninth multi-hit game with two singles and had two RBIs. Senior catcher
Caleb Oakley also chipped in two hits, an RBI, and a stolen base.
Francis Marion outhit Barton 10-4 in game one, with second baseman Mason Staz getting two hits for the Bulldogs.
Euson allowed just three singles and improved to 4-0 on the season. Senior right-hander
Danny Leo made his fourth appearance of the season and threw the final two innings, allowing only one hit and one unearned run.
The Patriots jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first when Oakley plated Bussey III with an infield single. As Oakley became involved in a rundown situation on the ensuing pitch, centerfielder
Will Dorrell scored from third.
Euson was able to work his way out of a bases loaded jam in the top of the second inning. Also batting in the line-up, Euson walked to lead off the bottom of the second. Senior second baseman
Owen Taylor advanced Euson into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt and Petersen later singled through the left side to score Euson and give FMU a 3-0 lead.
The Patriots added three insurance runs in the fourth to widen the margin to 6-0 as Petersen and Dorrell had RBI-hits and Bussey III hit a sacrifice fly.
Bussey III hit a deep shot over the wall in center field that took the Patriots up 7-0 to lead off the bottom of the seventh. Senior right fielder
Austin Bunn made his way to the bases after being hit by a pitch and was quickly driven in with a single from senior pinch hitter
Noah Stout. Francis Marion then opened the score up to 9-0 as Taylor drove in Stout from second with a double down the left field line.
The Bulldogs were able to steal one run in the top of the ninth, narrowly avoiding a shut out from the Patriots as Staz crossed home plate.
Joe Rauscher (0-2) was charged with the loss for game one after throwing for 3.2 innings, allowing seven hits and six runs with six strikeouts.
In the second game, Bunn – the team's leading homerun hitter – drove in three of the Patriots' seven runs as he homered down the left field line to put FMU ahead 3-0 in the bottom of the first inning.
The Bulldogs answered with two runs to trail 3-2 in the top of the second as Chase Waddell and Staz scored.
In the bottom of the second, junior third baseman
Jimmy Koza walk and Bussey III laced a hit down the right field line that earned Francis Marion a 4-2 advantage.
In the fourth, the Bulldogs overtook the lead with three runs. Francis Marion continued to trail 5-4 until Koza hit a sacrifice fly into right field that allowed Oakley to score in the bottom of the sixth, tying the game at 5-5. The sequence began with a base hit by Oakley and Taylor reaching on an error by the shortstop. Oakley and Taylor then performed a double steal to put runners in scoring position at second and third.
Barton scored three runs in the top of the seventh of senior right-hander
Josh Adams (0-1) to lead 8-5.
Three consecutive walks for the Patriots loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh (and final inning) to give Francis Marion a chance at a walk-off win. Two more walks – to Oakley and catcher
Hunter Looper – forced in two runs, but righty Brady Dunlop induced an infield grounder to end the game and escape the inning with the save.
Adams threw for 3.1 innings in relief of FMU starter
Robbie Jordan, who went 3.2 and allowed five runs (only two earned) on four hits. Terel Tillman (3-1) threw six innings while allowing five hits and striking out six.
Francis Marion Univ. 9, Barton College 1 (Feb 22, 2025 at Florence, SC) (Game 1)
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Barton College...... 000 000 001 - 1 4 0 (7-7, 2-2 CC)
Francis Marion Univ. 210 300 30X - 9 10 1 (11-2, 2-2 CC)
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Pitchers: Barton College - Joe Rauscher; Jacob Cabaniss(4); Aramis Salmeron(6); Layton Dupree(7)
and Jackson Marvel; Anthony Crudo. Francis Marion Univ. -
Rijnaldo Euson;
Danny Leo(8) and
Caleb Oakley;
Hunter Looper.
Win-
Rijnaldo Euson(4-0) Loss-Joe Rauscher(0-2) T-2:45 A-243
HR FMU -
Charlie Bussey III (2).
Weather: Sunny, 49, winds 1 mph SSE
Barton College 8, Francis Marion Univ. 7 (Feb 22, 2025 at Florence, SC) (Game 2)
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Barton College...... 020 300 3 - 8 11 2 (8-7, 3-2 CC)
Francis Marion Univ. 310 001 2 - 7 5 3 (11-3, 2-3 CC)
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Pitchers: Barton College - Terel Tillman; Dante Onorato(7); Brady Dunlop(7) and Jackson Marvel.
Francis Marion Univ. -
Robbie Jordan;
Josh Adams(4) and
Hunter Looper.
Win-Terel Tillman(3-1) Save-Brady Dunlop(1) Loss-
Josh Adams(0-1) T-2:40 A-0
HR FMU -
Austin Bunn (4).
Weather: 57, Sunny, winds 9 mph S
T. Tillman faced 1 batter in the 7th.
D. Onorato faced 2 batters in the 7th.
