KANNAPOLIS, NC – Sixth-year center fielder Daniel Hussey led the offensive charge with five runs batted in, as No. 13-ranked Francis Marion University scored eight unanswered runs in the final three innings to secure a 14-10 victory over No. 1 Catawba College on Tuesday night (March 24) at Atrium Health Ballpark.

Francis Marion earns a fourth-straight win to improve to 25-6 overall and splits the season series with the Catawba Indians (23-6). The last time FMU captured a win over the No. 1-ranked team was a 15-5 win over North Greenville University on May 4, 2023.

The Patriots return to Conference Carolinas play this weekend with a three-game series against the University of Mount Olive, with Game 1 scheduled for Friday, March 27, at 6 p.m. The doubleheader will be played on Saturday, with FMU celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the 2006 World Series Team prior to the game at 12:45 p.m., before first pitch at 1 p.m.

Hussey finished 3-for-5 at the plate with a pair of doubles, five RBIs, and three runs scored. Redshirt junior catcher Zander Buchan went 2-for-3 with a double and three runs batted in, while junior designated hitter Ethan McAnally tallied three hits, one RBI, two runs scored, and one stolen base.

The Patriot offense set the tone for this high-scoring affair with five runs on three hits in the top of the first. McAnally got FMU on the board with an RBI single down the right-field line before scoring later in the frame on a wild pitch, 2-0. Hussey and Buchan delivered back-to-back RBI singles to increase the lead. Hussey scored the final run of the top half of the inning after crossing the plate from third during a rundown, 5-0.

The Catawba Indians answered back in the bottom of the first with an RBI on a sacrifice fly to left-center to trail by a 5-1 margin. In the bottom of the second, Catawba cut into the lead again with an RBI double down the left-field line.

The Patriots regained their four-run advantage in the top of the third after senior left fielder Will Dorrell scored on a balk after reaching base on a fielding error, 6-2. The Catawba Indians continued to chip away at the deficit with a pair of RBI singles in the bottom half of the third, as Francis Marion held a 6-4 edge.

Catawba surged in front in the fourth inning with five runs on three hits, highlighted by a two-out, two-run double down the left-field line, 9-6. The Catawba Indians would bring in another run in the sixth to stretch the advantage to 10-6.

In the top of the seventh, the Patriots rallied with five runs, as senior second baseman Jimmy Koza began the charge with an RBI single to left-center with the bases loaded. After a challenge overturned a potential hit-by-pitch on Hussey, he reentered the box and delivered a three-run double to right-center to tie the game at 10-10. Later in the frame, a wild pitch brought in another run for Francis Marion to take the lead, 11-10.

FMU increased its lead to 14-10 with three insurance runs in the top of the eighth following an RBI double by Hussey down the left-field line before Buchan hit a two-run double down the right-field line.

Junior righty Jafet Martinez Delgado (3-0) earned the win after tossing 2.1 innings of scoreless relief (45 pitches) after allowing just one hit with two strikeouts and one walk. Sophomore Tyler Skeen closed out the ninth with a flawless three-out performance.

Seth Sharpe of Catawba (4-1) suffered the loss after surrendering two earned runs on two hits while failing to record an out.