FLORENCE, SC – Francis Marion University rallied from an early three-run deficit, but an eighth-inning throwing error allowed the go-ahead run to score as the Patriots dropped a 5-4 decision to visiting USC Aiken, Wednesday afternoon (Feb. 26) in non-conference baseball action.
Francis Marion, now 11-5, will return to Conference Carolinas play this weekend with a three-games series at 15th-ranked Young Harris College. The series will begin with a doubleheader on Saturday at 1 p.m.
Senior second baseman
Owen Taylor reached base three times for the Patriots with a pair of hits and a walk. Sophomore first baseman
Charlie Bussey III, the reigning conference and region Player of the Week, extended his hitting streak to seven games with a first-inning single, and senior center fielder
Caleb Oakley extended his streak of safely reaching base to 16 games with a sixth-inning RBI triple.
USCA (8-7) scored an unearned run in the top of the first, but FMU immediately answered in the bottom of the frame with a sacrifice fly by senior right fielder
Austin Bunn.
The Pacers tallied a trio of runs in the second to open a 4-1 advantage and chase FMU starter
Clayton Stewart. Despite getting its lead-off man on base in the second and third frames, FMU could not make a dent in the deficit.
Junior designated hitter
Will Dorrell doubled to lead off the sixth inning for the Patriots, and came home on a two-out double to center by freshman left fielder
Adrian Nina to trim the margin to 4-2. Nina then scampered home on the RBI-triple by Oakley to make it a one-run contest.
Francis Marion loaded the bases with one out in the seventh inning as Bunn was hit by a pitch, Taylor singled, and junior catcher
Dariel Villaran Goundis walked. After a pitching change, junior third baseman
Jimmy Koza walked to force in a run and deadlock the game at 4-4.
However, the next two batters were retired stranding three base runners. That proved costly as USCA plated the go-ahead run in the eighth on a one-out throwing error.
FMU senior righty
Daemon Woodruff (0-1) took the hard-luck loss, while USCA junior right-hander Charles Herring Jr. (1-0) retired eight of the nine batters he faced to earn the win.
Defensively, FMU turned a school-record tying four double plays during the game.
USC Aiken 5, Francis Marion Univ. 4 (Feb 26, 2025 at Florence, SC)
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USC Aiken............... 130 000 010 - 5 11 1 (8-7)
Francis Marion Univ. 100 002 100 - 4 8 2 (11-5)
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Pitchers: USC Aiken - Luke Norman; Damien Ashley(4); Jared Huse(6); Charles Herring Jr.(7) and Donovan Glisson. Francis Marion Univ. -
Clayton Stewart;
Mike Monduy(2);
Josh Adams(4);
Daemon Woodruff(7);
Jackson Madden(9) and D. Villaran Goundis.
Win-Charles Herring Jr. (1-0) Loss-
Daemon Woodruff (0-1) T-2:58 A-158
Weather: 77, Sunny, winds 7 mph SW
C.Stewart faced 4 batters in the 2nd.
Monduy faced 1 batter in the 4th.
