FLORENCE, SC – Francis Marion University sophomore first baseman Charlie Bussey III totaled five hits, one home run, three runs batted in, and three runs scored as the Patriots swept Southern Wesleyan University, winning 18-1 and 9-6, in a Conference Carolinas baseball doubleheader on Saturday (Mar. 22) afternoon.
 
Francis Marion improves to 22-9 overall and 12-6 in the conference.  FMU will host Augusta University on Tuesday (March 25) at 6 p.m.
 
Alongside Bussey IIII, senior left-fielder Caleb Oakley also had a standout day with five runs scored, three hits, and five RBIs, while senior second baseman Owen Taylor chipped in three hits and four RBIs.
 
Freshman left fielder Adrien Nina, junior third baseman Jimmy Koza, junior catcher Dariel Villaran-Goundis, and senior shortstop Rayth Petersen all tallied two hits apiece in the twinbill.
 
Villaran-Goundis (3), junior center fielder Will Dorrell (2), senior right fielder Austin Bunn (3), junior designated hitter Noah Stout (2), Koza (1), Petersen (3), and junior third baseman Parker Henderson (1) combined for 15 of the team's total 27 RBIs.
 
In Saturday's opener, senior southpaw Rijnaldo Euson (7-1) picked up his seventh win while holding the Warriors to two hits and one run over five innings. Euson also fanned seven batters.
 
Centerfielder Gage Shaver led the Warriors in game one (7-23, 6-11) with one hit and one RBI.
 
The Patriots were the first to strike in the opener with two runs crossing home plate. The sequence began with a walk for Oakley who moved into scoring position as Alex Sweeney (0-1) threw a wild pitch. Bussey III was hit by a pitch that put runners on first and second before junior center fielder Will Dorrell singled to drive in the first run.  Stout plated the second run with a sacrifice fly. 
 
Koza led off the second with a single and was followed up by Oakley who was then hit by a pitch. After a groundout to second base by Taylor and the runners advancing to second and third, SWU's Coleman Wylie walked four consecutive batters to open the score to 6-0.
 
Southern Wesleyan scored one run in the top of the third to trail 6-1.
 
Francis Marion added six more insurance runs, one in the third and five in the fourth, to open the score to 12-1. By the sixth inning, the Patriots had accumulated another six runs, two being driven on a two-run homer hit by Taylor to lead 18-1.
 
In game two, Griffin Pickhardt led Southern Wesleyan with two hits and three of the team's six RBIs.
 
For the first time in the series, Southern Wesleyan was the first to score as the Warriors went up 2-0 in the top of the second.  The Warriors tallied two more runs in the fourth to put the Patriots in a 4-0 deficit.
 
Francis Marion answered in the lower half of the frame as Taylor hit his second home run of the series to trim the lead to 4-1. With that homer, Taylor ties Bunn for the team lead with six.
 
Koza then ignited a three-run inning as he doubled and moved up 90 feet with a balk by SWU starter Lukas Arvantides. After Nina was hit by a pitch, runners were positioned at the corners.  A triple blasted off the left field wall by Oakley scored both Koza and Nina cut the gap to 4-3. Francis Marion knotted the score at 4-4 before the last out of the fifth was recorded as Oakley scored on an infield grounder by Bussey III.
 
Junior right-handed pitcher Robbie Jordan (5-1) put up three scoreless innings between the fifth and seventh to maintain the 4-4 deadlock and give the Patriots a chance to overtake the Warriors.
 
Following a lead-off single by Oakley in the seventh, Bussey III bounced his homer off the top of the scoreboard to take a 6-4 advantage. A sacrifice fly by Taylor then allowed senior shortstop Rayth Petersen to tag up and score the final run of the seventh.
 
The Patriots led 7-4 until the Warriors were able to bring in a fifth run and trail 7-5.
 
Francis Marion was able to plate two more runs in the bottom of the eighth and coasted to a finish despite Southern Wesleyan getting one more run on the board to trail 9-6.
 
Jalen Morgan (0-4) was tagged with the loss for game two following one innings, two hits allowed, and three runs scored.
 
Jordan captured the win after completing seven innings, allowing three hits, four runs, and three strikeouts, while Petersen moved from shortstop to the mound and picked up his second save of the season with two innings of relief.

 
 
 
Francis Marion Univ. 18, Southern Wesleyan U. 1 (Mar 22, 2025 at Florence, SC) (Game 1)
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Southern Wesleyan U. 001 000 0 -  1  3  2      (7-23, 6-11 CC)
Francis Marion Univ. 241 533 X - 18 10  2      (21-9, 11-6 CC)
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Pitchers: Southern Wesleyan U. - Alex Sweeney; Coleman Wylie(1); Logan Brazell(2);
Cayden Towell(4); Adrian Abad(5); Mason Clark(6) and Harrison Garrett. Francis Marion Univ. - Rijnaldo Euson; Tristan Neely(6) and D. Villaran Goundis.
Win-Rijnaldo Euson (7-1)  Loss-Alex Sweeney (0-1)  T-2:25  A-223
HR FMU - Owen Taylor (5).
Weather: Sunny, 66, winds 14 mph WSW
Abad, A faced 4 batters in the 6th.
 
 
Francis Marion Univ. 9, Southern Wesleyan U. 6 (Mar 22, 2025 at Florence, SC) (Game 2)
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Southern Wesleyan U. 020 200 011  -  6  7  2      (7-24, 6-12 CC)
Francis Marion Univ. 000 130 32X  -  9  7  3      (22-9, 12-6 CC)
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Pitchers: Southern Wesleyan U. - Lukas Arvantides; Nick Gonsalves(5); Jaylen Morgan(7); Garrett Swink(8) and Griffin Pickhardt. Francis Marion Univ. - Robbie Jordan; Rayth Petersen(8) and Caleb Oakley.
Win-Robbie Jordan (5-1)  Save-Rayth Petersen (2)  Loss-Jaylen Morgan (0-4)  T-2:48 
HR FMU - Charlie Bussey III (5); Owen Taylor (6).
Weather: Sunny, 74, winds 15 mph WSW
Arvantides faced 3 batters in the 5th.