GASTONIA, NC – Conference Carolinas Player of the Year
Charlie Bussey III produced his second straight two-homer, five runs batted in performance to key 18th-ranked and top-seeded Francis Marion University to a 16-12 defeat of I-95 rival UNC Pembroke, Friday (May 2) afternoon at the 2025 Conference Carolinas tournament.
The Patriots improve to 40-12, their fifth 40-win campaign in program history and the first since 2012, and will face the Belmont Abbey College/Young Harris College loser in an elimination game on Saturday morning (May 3) at 11 a.m. at Sims Legion Park in Gastonia, NC.
Bussey also registered four hits and scored three times. The sophomore first baseman pushed his season RBI total to 65, only two shy of the team record set by Preston Shuey in 2011.
FMU senior All-Conference shortstop
Rayth Petersen also had a standout day, batting in four of the team's 12 RBIs on two hits, while claiming his fifth save of the season after throwing two innings of relief work.
Patriot junior third baseman
Jimmy Koza collected three hits, while junior centerfielder
Will Dorrell walked three times and doubled, while driving in two runs and extending his streak of safely reaching base to 42 games.
FMU junior right-hander
Robbie Jordan (7-1) allowed nine runs on eight hits with five strikeouts in 6.2 innings of work to earn the win.
UNC Pembroke's center fielder Blake Hinson went 5-for-6, while both Luis Ramirez and Jake Bradley hit two-run homers.
The Patriots took an early 3-0 lead in the top of the first as Petersen singled in two runs and a senior second baseman
Owen Taylor hit a sacrifice fly. The Braves answered back in their half of the frame with Ramirez's two-run shot.
FMU senior right fielder
Austin Bunn improved upon his school record for being hit by a pitch when he was plunked for the 27th time in the top of the second. Later in the frame, Dorrell walked with the bases loaded and Petersen hit a sac fly to up the advantage to 5-2.
Francis Marion forced UNCP's starter Johnathan Jacobs (4-5) to retire in the top of the third after tossing only two innings. The Patriot scored six times on only two hits in the inning. One run scored on a throwing error, Bussey III cranked a grand slam to right-center field, and Dorrell stole home – one of seven stolen bases by the Patriots.
Now trialing 11-2, UNCP responded in the bottom of the fourth as Bradley hit his two-run homer. The Braves (28-22) scored twice in the fourth to draw within 11-6.
Taylor turned his second double play of the game and the team's 34th of the season in the bottom of the sixth to clear the bases and keep the advantage at five runs.
FMU scored once in the top of the seventh, but UNCP plated four in the bottom of the inning to claw within 12-10.
Following an hour-and-fifteen minute weather delay, both team scored twice in the eighth frame. On the first pitch delivered in the eighth inning, Bussey III sent his fourth home run of the tournament into the parking lot. Later a wild pitch allowed FMU to add another run for a 14-10 lead.
Leading 14-12 in the ninth, the Patriots picked up two insurance runs on an RBI-double by Dorrell and a run-scoring single by Petersen.
FMU has recorded 42 sacrifice flies this season, second only in Division II to the University of Tampa's 45.
#18 Francis Marion 16, UNC Pembroke 12 (May 02, 2025 at Gastonia, N.C.)
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Francis Marion......... 326 000 122 - 16 12 0 (40-12)
UNC Pembroke........ 202 200 420 - 12 13 2 (28-22)
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Pitchers: Francis Marion -
Robbie Jordan;
Jackson Madden(7);
Josh Adams(7);
Rayth Petersen(8) and D. Villaran Goundis;
Caleb Oakley. UNC Pembroke - Jonathan Jacobs; Landon Lucas(3); Kasen McCawley(3); Seth Willis(8) and Jake Bradley.
Win-
Robbie Jordan (7-1) Save-
Rayth Petersen (5) Loss-Jonathan Jacobs (4-5) T-3:58 A-262
HR FMU -
Charlie Bussey III 2 (11), UNCP-Luis Ramirez (3); Jake Bradley (10).
Weather: 76, sunny, wind SW 7mph
Madden faced 2 batters in the 7th. Adams faced 2 batters in the 8th.
