FLORENCE, SC – Senior Rayth Petersen totaled three hits, including the walk-off two-run single in the bottom of the ninth inning of game two, and earned a pitching save in the opener as Francis Marion swept a non-conference baseball double from Emory & Henry University on Saturday (Feb. 8) afternoon, winning 7-4 and 5-4. 
 
The Patriots remain unbeaten under head coach Jeff Jefferson and advance to 7-0, the team's best start single 2017 when FMU opened 10-0.   Francis Marion will compete in its first road contest of the season as the Patriots travel to Augusta University on Tuesday (Feb.11) at 4 p.m.
 
The Wasps (1-5) were the first to get on the board as they scored two runs in the top of the first inning in game one.  FMU didn't sway as Petersen hit a lead-off single to right field and then quickly moved into scoring position after a base hit by junior center fielder Will Dorrell. After battling through eight pitches and a full count, senior right fielder Austin Bunn homered to left-field for a 3-2 advantage in the bottom of the first frame.
 
In the second inning, senior second baseman Owen Taylor laced a base hit down the left field line and moved into scoring position after stealing second – his fourth stolen base on the season.  Junior catcher Hunter Looper plated Taylor with a single to left center before the side was retired with Francis Marion up 4-2.
 
Emory & Henry tied the contest at 4-4 with single runs in the fourth and fifth innings.  The Patriots regained the advantage in the fifth when Bunn doubled down the left field line and later came home on a sacrifice fly by sophomore first baseman Charlie Bussey III.
 
FMU added two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth, with one run coming home on a wild pitch and the other on a sacrifice fly by Looper.
 
Florence native and junior right-hander Robbie Jordan (2-0) pitched the first five innings and fanned nine.  Petersen pitched the final two innings of the seven-inning contest and did not allow a run to earn his first save as a Patriot.
 
Petersen, Bunn, Taylor, and Looper all had two hits in the opener.
 
Likewise in the second game, Emory & Henry was the first to strike and went up 1-0 in the first frame.  The Patriots didn't answer that run until the bottom of the second inning as Taylor hit a home run over the left field wall to tie the game up at 1-1.
 
The Wasps added another run in the top of the third inning and continued to lead by one until the bottom of the fourth. Bussey III swung on the third pitch delivered and tripled to right center. A base hit from senior left fielder Caleb Oakley plated Bussey III and tied the game at 2-2.
 
The teams entered the top of the fifth knotted 2-2 before the Wasps tallied another run to reclaim the lead.  Francis Marion responded again with a tying tally in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI-triple by junior third baseman Jimmy Koza.
 
In the top of the ninth, a home run by Emory & Henry shortstop Steven Smith put the Wasps up 4-3.
 
In the bottom of the ninth, a lead-off single from Oakley put the tying run on base as Koza came up to the plate. Although Koza stepped into the box with the intention of moving Oakley to second with a sacrifice bunt, a throwing error by Emory & Henry's pitcher put runners on first and second.
 
An intentional walk for Taylor loaded the bases with no outs.  After back-to-back strikeouts, Peterson drilled the first pitch sent to him into right field for the walk-off win as Oakley and Koza both scored. 
 
Bussey III and Oakley led FMU with two hits apiece in the second contest.
 
Freshman southpaw Jackson Madden (1-0) entered the game to pitch as Francis Marion trailed 3-2 in the top of the sixth inning. He threw 3.2 innings and only allowed one run while striking out three and claiming his first win of 2025.