FLORENCE, SC – The No. 15-ranked Francis Marion University baseball program surrendered a pair of four-run innings on Tuesday evening (March 10) in an 11-8 loss to No. 2-ranked Catawba College in a non-conference regional matchup at Sparrow Stadium.

The Patriots (19-4) will return to Conference Carolinas play this weekend with a three-game series versus nationally-ranked Young Harris, with Game 1 set for Friday, March 13 at 6 p.m. The doubleheader will be played on Saturday in Florence, starting at 1 p.m.

Redshirt junior center fielder Charlie Bussey III reached base five times after going 2-for-2 with a solo homer, three runs scored, three walks, and one stolen base. Fellow redshirt junior catcher Zander Buchan finished 2-for-4 with one RBI, one run scored, and one walk.

In the bottom of the first, Bussey III crushed a solo homer into left field, his fifth of the season, to propel the Patriots into a 1-0 lead. The Catawba Indians countered in the top of the second with an RBI double down the left-field line to tie the game at 1-1. Francis Marion immediately regained their advantage in the bottom half after junior third baseman Brandon Vargas scored on a wild pitch after drawing a walk to reach base, 2-1. With two-outs, the Patriots executed a perfect hit-and-run with an RBI single to left-center by Buchan to score senior second baseman Jimmy Koza from first, 3-1.

Catawba took its first lead of the game in the top of the third after scoring four runs on three hits, highlighted by a two-run homer to left-center, 5-3.

FMU cut into the deficit in the bottom of the fifth as senior left fielder Riley Orr belted an RBI double to left-center to trail by a 5-4 margin. The Catawba Indians responded in the top of the sixth with two more runs after scoring on a bases-loaded walk and a sacrifice fly, 7-4. In the bottom half of the frame, junior first baseman Ethan McAnally delivered a two-out, two-run single to left to close the gap to 7-6.

Catawba once again created separation in the seventh inning after scoring four runs on two hits and capitalizing on two errors, 11-6. In the eighth, Vargas hit a leadoff double to right-center before later scoring on a wild pitch to trim the deficit to 11-7. FMU scored one final time in the bottom of the ninth on an RBI single from freshman shortstop Logan Davis.

Parker Lakey of Catawba (4-1) earned the win after tossing two scoreless innings of relief with two strikeouts and one walk (31 pitches). Joe Burleyson secured his NCAA Division II-leading eighth save of the year following 1.1 innings of work (23 pitches).