FLORENCE, SC – Senior shortstop
Rayth Petersen led Francis Marion University with two hits and two runs driven in during an 8-5 loss to Lander University on Tuesday (Mar. 18) night.
The Patriots (19-9) will return to Sparrow Stadium to host Southern Wesleyan University in Conference Carolina play on Friday, March 21, at 6 p.m.
FMU sophomore first baseman
Charlie Bussey III chipped in three hits, including two doubles. Bussey III continues to lead the team with a total of 13 doubles.
Senior left-fielder
Caleb Oakley, junior center fielder
Will Dorrell, senior designated hitter
Noah Stout, and senior right-handed pitcher
Rijnaldo Euson tallied one hit each.
Right-fielder Garrett Sherrod paced Lander (20-7) with three hits, two RBIs, and one run scored.
The Bearcats were the first to strike as they put up one run in the top of the first inning, holding a 1-0 lead.
Behind a lead-off walk for Will McClellan and a single for Garret Chun, Lander had runners in scoring position at second and third. McClellan was then driven in as Cooper Backman hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield, opening the margin to 2-0 in the top of the second inning.
Although the Bearcats added one more run to lead 3-0 in the bottom of the fourth, a one-out single through the left side by Dorrell loaded the bases in favor of Francis Marion. With a full count against him, Petersen walked in the first run to trim the deficit to 3-1.
The Patriots cut the lead even further as senior right fielder
Austin Bunn scored on a wild pitch and made it a 3-2 game before Stout stepped into the batter's box. Stout worked bac from a 0-2 count to drive in Petersen as he grounded out to second base and knot the score at 3-3 before going into the top of the fifth inning.
Lander regained the lead in the top of the fifth as they scored two runs for a 5-3 advantage.
The Patriots trimmed the lead yet again as Petersen hit a one-out infield single that allowed Bussey III to slip past the Bearcat catcher McClellan to narrow the deficit to 5-4.
Lander assumed an 8-4 advantage by the top half of the ninth and held on despite Stout homering over the right field wall in the ninth.
Clayton Stewart (0-2) was charged with the loss following 3.2 innings of work while allowing three hits and fanning five batters.
Luke Johnson (4-1) picked up the win behind two innings of work, two hits allowed, and one strikeout.
Lander University 8, Francis Marion Univ. 5 (Mar 18, 2025 at Florence, SC)
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Lander University... 110 120 012 - 8 10 1 (20-7)
Francis Marion Univ. 000 301 001 - 5 9 0 (19-9)
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Pitchers: Lander University - Jake Larson; Luke Johnson(5); Joshua Sanch(7) and Will McClell. Francis Marion Univ. -
Daemon Woodruff;
Clayton Stewart(2);
Jackson Madden(5);
Sam Duvall(8) and
Hunter Looper.
Win-Luke Johnson (4-1) Save-Joshua Sanch (2) Loss-
Clayton Stewart (0-2) T-3:28 A-107
HR FMU -
Noah Stout (4).
Weather: Sunny, 71, winds 6 mph WNW
Woodruff faced 2 batters in the 2nd.
Madden faced 1 batter in the 8th.
