BELMONT, NC – Senior second baseman Owen Taylor's infield RBI-single snapped three scoreless innings and ignited a six-run fourth inning that Francis Marion University used to defeat Belmont Abbey College 15-9 in Conference Carolinas league action on Friday (Mar. 14) afternoon. 
 
The Patriots (18-7, 8-5) will complete the three-game series against the Crusaders with a doubleheader that begins at 12 p.m. on Saturday, March 15, in Belmont, N.C.
 
Junior center fielder Will Dorrell and junior third baseman Jimmy Koza each registered three hits and one RBI to lead the Patriots against Belmont Abbey (15-9, 8-5).
 
FMU senior designated hitter Noah Stout finished the game with two hits and three RBIs, while senior right fielder Austin Bunn, sophomore first baseman Charlie Bussey III, and Taylor chipped in two hits apiece.
 
Bunn (2) and senior left fielder Caleb Oakley (2) also combined for four of the team's total 11 RBIs, followed by Bussey III and Taylor with one run driven in respectively.
 
Senior right-handed pitcher Daniel Barcena evens his record at 1-1 after completing five innings and allowing four hits, while fanning four batters.
 
Bunn started the fourth inning with a lead-off single through the left side and was followed up with another hit by Stout. With runners on first and third, Taylor hit an infield single that allowed Bunn to score and give Francis Marion a 1-0 lead.
 
With one out, back-to-back singles by Koza and Dorrell opened the score to 3-0 as two more runs crossed the plate.  Bussey III drove in another run as he scored Koza from third. After batting all the way through the order, Bunn drove in the final two runs of the inning and put the Crusaders in a 6-0 deficit.
 
In the lower half of the frame, Belmont Abbey was able to cut the margin to 6-3.
 
The Patriots began the fifth inning with another lead-off single as Taylor singled to left field. A pair of hits and defensive miscues from the Crusaders scored both Taylor and Koza to widen the margin to 8-3.  Francis Marion tacked on five more runs before the side was retired, three coming on a homer by Stout deep over the centerfield wall. The Patriots entered the bottom of the fifth inning in front 13-3.
 
The Crusaders attempted to cut the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning as three runs crossed home plate. Senior right-hander Danny Leo closed out the inning by striking out Connor Tucker and continuing to hold onto the Patriots' seven-run lead.  
 
FMU added its fourteenth run of the game as Oakley scored on a balk in the top of the seventh inning. In the top of the eighth frame, Oakley walked with the bases loaded up the margin to 15-6.
 
The Crusaders answered with a single run scored in the bottom of the eighth on a sacrifice fly to trim the margin back to 15-7. Before the final out was recorded in the bottom of the ninth, Belmont Abbey added on two additional runs.
 
Drew Stegura (3-1) was charged with the loss after pitching 4.1 innings and allowing 12 hits and nine runs.