FLORENCE, SC – Junior southpaw
Aydin Palmer and redshirt senior right-handed pitcher
Robbie Jordan each collected a win on the mound following a pair of quality starts on Friday (Feb. 20), as 23rd-ranked Francis Marion University swept a doubleheader over Shorter University with a 10-6 win and a 7-2 victory in Conference Carolinas baseball action.
The Patriots extended their winning streak to 10-straight after improving to 12-1 overall with a 5-0 mark in conference action. Francis Marion also stretched its winning streak at Sparrow Stadium to 22 following the sweep.
FMU will look for the series sweep on Saturday (Feb. 21) with first pitch scheduled for 5:30 p.m. due to rain in the morning forecast.
Palmer (3-0), a product of South Florence High School, earned the Game 1 win after tossing 6.0 scoreless innings (61 pitches) with three hits allowed and five strikeouts. He retired the initial eight batters of the game while also retiring the side in order three times.
Senior third baseman
Will Dorrell finished 4-for-5 at the plate with a double and three runs scored. Redshirt junior first baseman
Charlie Bussey III also went 4-for-5 while tallying two runs batted in, two runs scored, and one stolen base.
The Patriots grabbed a 3-0 advantage in the bottom of the first inning after Bussey III laced an RBI single to right field before Manuel launched a two-run homer to left field, his second of the year. FMU added a run in the bottom of the second after a failed pick-off attempt allowed the runner to score from third, 4-0.
After two scoreless innings, Francis Marion scored two runs in the fifth as junior designated hitter
Ethan McAnally and sixth-year outfielder
Daniel Hussey each delivered RBI singles. The Patriots stretched the lead to 8-0 in the bottom of the sixth, highlighted by an RBI single to center field from Bussey III.
The Hawks rallied in the top of the seventh with six runs on seven hits, headlined by a grand slam homer to right field. The Patriots would bring two more runs across in the final innings to secure a 10-6 win.
Sophomore
Tyler Skeen captured his second save of the season after yielding zero runs on one hit with four strikeouts and one walk in 3.0 innings pitched (41 pitches).
In Game 2, Jordan (4-0) — a product of Florence Christian School — earned the victory after allowing two earned runs on eight hits with six strikeouts and one walk in 6.0 innings (103 pitches). Jordan notched his 25th career victory, tying him with righty Don Sandifer for fourth place on the Patriot career wins list. Sophomore lefty
Jackson Madden closed out the game with 1.0 scoreless inning and two strikeouts.
The Hawks established a 1-0 lead to begin the contest with a two-out RBI single up the middle following a triple down the left-field line in the second frame. In the bottom of the third, Francis Marion brought across a run on a throwing error to tie the game, 1-1. Shorter regained the lead 2-1 in the top of the fourth before Dorrell knotted the game at 2-2 with a solo homer to left center, his third of the year.
In the bottom of the fifth, Dorrell drove in two more runs on a single to center field to extend the lead to 4-2. FMU scored three insurance runs in the sixth as junior outfielder
Matthew Manuel and freshman shortstop
Logan Davis each registered an RBI double, 7-2.
