Box Score FLORENCE, SC – Held to only five hits, Francis Marion University made the most of them, coming from behind to capture a 5-4 victory over King University (Tenn.) Friday night in Conference Carolinas baseball action.
Francis Marion, which is among the other teams receiving votes in this week's ACBA Top 30 poll, improves to 15-6 overall and evens its conference mark 5-5. The Patriots and Tornado will conclude their weekend series with a doubleheader on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Sparrow Stadium.
Shortstop Jose Ruiz gave King (4-16, 2-8) a 1-0 lead in the fourth with an RBI-double to right center.
The Patriots were held hitless through four innings by freshman right-hander Ben Hale (1-1), but finally broke through in the fifth. Junior third baseman
Jimmy Koza delivered a two-out, two-run single to center that lifted FMU to a 2-1 advantage.
A bases-loaded walk to senior designated hitter
Noah Stout in the fifth upped the margin to 3-1. A two-out rally in the seventh produced another pair of runs to swell the lead to 5-1. Sophomore first baseman
Charlie Bussey III walked, went to second on a single by senior shortstop
Rayth Petersen, and scored on a single through the left side by junior center fielder
Will Dorrell. The latter two then combined for a double steal with Petersen swiping home.
Dorrell was the lone Patriot with multiple hits, while Petersen had a hit and scored twice.
The Tornado rallied for three runs in the eighth, including a two-run single by pinch-hitter Turner Stout, to trim the margin to 5-4. FMU freshman southpaw
Jackson Madden got the final six outs, allowing only one hit, to earn his first collegiate save.
Senior right-hander
Josh Adams (2-1) earned the win with two scoreless frames in relief of Patriot starter
Daniel Barcena.
Francis Marion Univ. 5, King University TN 4 (Mar 07, 2025 at Florence, SC)
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King University TN.. 000 100 030 - 4 10 0 (4-16, 2-8 CC)
Francis Marion Univ. 000 021 20X - 5 5 0 (15-6, 5-5 CC)
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Pitchers: King University TN - Ben Hale; Royal Philo(6) and Levi Medford.
Francis Marion Univ. -
Daniel Barcena;
Josh Adams(4);
Danny Leo(6);
Jackson Madden(8) and
D. Villaran Goundis.
Win-
Josh Adams(2-1) Save-
Jackson Madden(1) Loss-Ben Hale(1-1) T-2:45 A-126
Weather: 58, Sunny, winds 4 mph SSW
Barcena faced 2 batters in the 4th.
Leo faced 3 batters in the 8th.
