FLORENCE, SC – Junior center fielder
Will Dorrell led 21st-ranked Francis Marion University with three runs batted in, two hits, and one run scored in a 9-4 victory over Emmanuel University to extend the Patriots' win streak to 11 games. FMU blanked the Lions 3-0 behind the pitching of senior southpaw
Rijnaldo Euson in the first game of Saturday's Conference Carolinas baseball doubleheader.
The Patriots (30-9, 18-6) will play in a road game against USC Aiken on Tuesday evening (Apr. 8) at 6 p.m. FMU reaches 30 wins for the first time since the 2012 season, the last time the Patriots advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
Ryan Muniz's two-out third-inning single was the only Lion to reach base against Euson (9-1) in game one. Euson fanned seven Lion batters.
Senior right fielder
Austin Bunn, junior third baseman
Jimmy Koza, and freshman left fielder
Adrian Nina all recorded one hit and one RBI during the first game.
The Patriots jumped ahead early in game one, scoring three runs in the bottom of the second for a 3-0 lead that they would never relinquish. Bunn hit an RBI-single to score the first run and was followed by Koza who drove in the second with a double into left field.
The final run of the inning was plated by Nina as he singled to third and allowed Bunn to score.
Senior shortstop
Rayth Petersen was the only other Patriot to tally a hit in game one.
Emmanuel's (17-22, 10-14) starting pitcher Hunter Pirkle (4-5) also threw a complete game in game one, striking out six and walking four.
FMU sophomore first baseman
Charlie Bussey III, senior left fielder
Caleb Oakley, and junior catcher
Dariel Villaran Goundis each tallied two hits respectively in game two while four other Patriots had one hit apiece.
Hayden Beall paced the Lions during game two with two hits and one RBI.
For the first time in the series, Emmanuel struck first to get ahead 2-0 in game two. The Lions posted two runs in the top of the first, one run scoring on a wild pitch and the second being driven in by Beall with a one-out single.
A five-run second inning for FMU erased the deficit as Dorrell hit an RBI-single, Koza hit a sacrifice fly, senior second baseman
Owen Taylor singled to left center to score two, and Bussey III registered an RBI-single.
Dorrell's single extended his on-base streak to 29 consecutive games.
The Patriots kept their 5-2 lead in the top of the third as they escaped a bases-loaded jam by turning their 26th double play of the season.
Bunn broke into double-digits for home runs as he sent his 10th shot over the wall in left field. The solo homer put FMU up by four (6-2) in the bottom of the third and brought Bunn to 30 RBIs for the season, while making him the first double-digit home run hitter since Will Hardee in 2023.
A two-run inning for the Lions in the top of the fourth cut into the deficit, with Francis Marion still leading 6-4.
Senior right-hander
Daemon Woodruff (2-2) retired all three batters in the top of the fifth frame and held on to the two-run advantage before FMU broke open the score with another two-run single hit by Dorrell that widened the margin to 8-4 in the bottom of the sixth.
With Petersen's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh, the Patriots recorded their 33rd sac fly to hold their national ranking of first and added an insurance run to stay in front 9-4.
Freshman left-handed pitcher
Jackson Madden closed out the three game series with his second save of the season, holding the Lions to no hits over the last three innings of game two.
Hunter Parks falls to an 2-2 after being tagged with the loss for game two. Parks allowed six hits, five runs, and struck out two in four innings.
#21 Francis Marion Univ. 3, Emmanuel (GA) Univ. 0 (Apr 05, 2025 at Florence, SC) (Game 1)
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Emmanuel (GA) Univ.. 000 000 0 - 0 1 2 (17-21, 10-13 CC)
Francis Marion Univ. 030 000 X - 3 5 0 (29-9, 17-6 CC)
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Pitchers: Emmanuel (GA) Univ. - Hunter Pirkle and Nick Madrigal. Francis Marion Univ. - R. Euson and
Caleb Oakley.
Win-R. Euson(9-1) Loss-Hunter Pirkle(4-5) T-1:32 A-224
Weather: Sunny, 83, winds 11 mph SW
#21 Francis Marion Univ. 9, Emmanuel (GA) Univ. 4 (Apr 05, 2025 at Florence, SC) (Game 2)
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Emmanuel (GA) Univ.. 200 200 000 - 4 5 0 (17-22, 10-14 CC)
Francis Marion Univ. 051 002 10X - 9 11 1 (30-9, 18-6 CC)
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Pitchers: Emmanuel (GA) Univ. - Brayden Pooler; Hunter Parks(2); Lucas Meehan(6);
Will Sherman(7); Hunter Maddox(8) and Zachary Bergstrom. Francis Marion Univ. -
Josh Adams;
Daniel Barcena(2);
Daemon Woodruff(3);
Jackson Madden(7) and D. Villaran Goundis.
Win-
Daemon Woodruff(2-2) Save-
Jackson Madden(2) Loss-Hunter Parks(2-2) T-3:00
HR FMU -
Austin Bunn.
Weather: Sunny, 86, winds 15 mph SW
B. Pooler faced 2 batters in the 2nd.
H. Parks faced 1 batter in the 6th.
L. Meehan faced 2 batters in the 7th.
