YOUNG HARRIS, GA – Senior second baseman Owen Taylor recorded three hits and drove in the go-ahead run in Francis Marion University's 5-3 extra-inning victory over 15th-ranked Young Harris College, Saturday (Mar. 1) afternoon in Conference Carolinas baseball action. The Mountain Lions won game one of the doubleheader 6-5 with three runs in the bottom of the ninth.
 
The Patriots (12-6, 3-5) will play the rubber game of the series against Young Harris on Sunday at 1 p.m.
 
In the second contest, Young Harris put up three runs off FMU senior southpaw Rijnaldo Euson (5-0) in the bottom of the first.  However, the lefty did not allow another run as he blanked the Mountain Lions for the next seven innings.  He allowed only six hits and fanned 11 batters.  
 
Francis Marion rallied to knot the game at 3-3 in the fifth.  Junior third baseman Jimmy Koza hit a run-scoring single to right center and senior outfielder Caleb Oakley followed with a two-run single to left field.
 
Two scoreless innings for both teams sent the game into extra innings. Oakley led off the top of the eighth with a double and sophomore first baseman Charlie Bussey III reached on an error. Both runners moved up on a passed ball.  After a ground out, an intentional walk for senior outfielder Austin Bunn loaded the bases.  With two outs, Taylor registered an infield single to plate Oakley and junior catcher Dariel Villaran Goundis also reached on an RBI infield single to put the Patriots up 5-3.
 
Sam Neal (0-1) was the losing pitcher after throwing three innings and allowing four hits, and two runs. 
 
Like Taylor, Villaran Goundis also had three hits in the second game, while Oakley and Bussey III each had two.  Bussey III did have his seven-game hitting streak stopped in Saturday's opener, while Oakley extended his streak of safely reaching base to 18 contests.  Taylor is a native of Darlington, S.C.
 
Oakley and Bussey III began the top of the first inning of game one with back-to-back walks. Senior shortstop Rayth Petersen drove Oakley home from second with a single to left field.  As runners sat on second and third, junior center fielder Will Dorrell flew out to centerfield that allowed Bussey III to tag up and score for a 2-0 Francis Marion lead.
 
In the top of the third, Petersen began the inning with another base hit. A two-out single  by Taylor scored Petersen all the way from first. Taylor then scored as senior designated hitter Noah Stout doubled to open the Patriots' lead to 4-0.
 
The Patriots added one more run in the top of the fifth inning to lead 5-0.
 
The Mountain Lions (12-5, 6-2) scored twice in the fifth and once in the seventh to trail 5-3.  Young Harris scored three times in the ninth to win on a two-out, walk-off RBI-single by Mark Castle.
 
Senior right-handed reliever Daemon Woodruff (0-2) took the loss  FMU junior righty Robbie Jordan started and went six strong innings, allowing only two runs on eight hits with five strikeouts.
 
Brady Caloway (2-1) picked up the win while allowing one hit in 1.2 innings.
 
Petersen, Dorrell, and Koza all had two hits in the first contest.