WILSON, NC – After totaling 42 runs on 33 hits with six homers, the No. 21-ranked Francis Marion University baseball program sealed the series sweep at Barton College after winning the Conference Carolinas baseball doubleheader on Saturday (March 7) with a 25-3 win in Game 1 before a 17-6 victory in Game 2.

The Patriots win their third Conference Carolinas series of the year to improve to 19-3 overall with a 10-2 mark in league play. Francis Marion begins a four-game homestand on Tuesday, March 10, when it hosts nationally-ranked Catawba College in a regional non-conference contest at Sparrow Stadium, starting at 5 p.m.

Redshirt senior right-handed pitcher Robbie Jordan (6-0) yielded three runs (one earned) on four hits with four strikeouts and three walks in 5.0 innings of work. The Florence native moves into sole possession of third all-time at Francis Marion with 27 career wins.

The Patriots established an early advantage in Game 1 following a two-run homer to center field in the top of the first by junior first baseman Ethan McAnally, his team-leading seventh blast of the year. The Bulldogs managed to counter in the bottom half with an RBI on a fielder's choice to trail by a 2-1 margin.

In the top of the second, junior third baseman Brandon Vargas launched a two-run home run to left field with two outs, his second-straight game going yard for the Patriots, 4-1. Francis Marion continued to add to its lead in the third frame, scoring three runs behind an RBI double by McAnally and an RBI single from freshman shortstop Logan Davis, 7-1.

The Patriots extended their lead to double-digits in the top of the fourth after six runs scored on five hits. FMU batted around the lineup as redshirt junior right fielder Charlie Bussey III hit an RBI single to left field before McAnally laced another double to left field to drive in a run. Davis capped the frame with a two-run single as FMU held a 13-1 lead.

In the top of the fifth, the Patriot offense continued to surge with seven runs on five hits, highlighted by a three-run homer by redshirt junior designated hitter Zach Doorlag and a solo shot from Vargas, 20-1.

FMU scored five additional runs on three hits in its final trip to the plate in Game 1, with sophomore center fielder Adrian Nina and senior second baseman Jake Hardee each recording RBI singles, 25-3.

Freshman righty Charlie Bonds made his collegiate debut and tossed 2.0 scoreless innings with three strikeouts to close out the game.

McAnally finished 3-for-4 with a homer, 4 RBIs, five runs scored, and one walk. Vargas tallied three hits, two homers, three runs batted in, three runs scored, and two stolen bases. Bussey III went 3-for-5 with one RBI, four runs scored, and one stolen base.

In Game 2, senior second baseman Will Dorrell delivered a 5-for-5 performance with five runs batted in and one run scored. Bussey III finished 3-for-4 with one homer, two RBIs, and four runs scored. Junior designated hitter Zander Buchan and redshirt senior catcher Dariel Villaran Goundis each recorded multi-hit and multi-RBI performances.

Dorrell registered an RBI single to right field in the top of the first to get the Patriots on the board. Following a scoreless second inning, FMU recorded two more runs in the third on a sacrifice fly to right field by senior left fielder Riley Orr and an RBI single from Dorrell, 3-0. Barton countered in the bottom half of the frame to cut the deficit to 3-2 with two runs on three hits.

Francis Marion brought across a run on a wild pitch in the fifth before erupting for five runs in the top of the sixth, highlighted by a two-run infield single by Dorrell, 9-2. The Bulldogs responded with an RBI on a fielder's choice in the bottom of the sixth to trail by a 9-3 margin.

Junior center fielder Matthew Manuel hit an RBI single before Buchan laced a two-run single in the top of the seventh to increase the lead to 12-3. Barton once again countered in the bottom half with three runs on three hits to close the gap to 12-6.

The Patriots sealed the series sweep with a five-run top of the ninth, highlighted by a solo homer from Bussey III and a three-run blast by Villaran Goundis, 17-6.

Junior southpaw Aydin Palmer (4-1), a product of South Florence, allowed two earned runs on six hits with five strikeouts and three walks in 5.0 innings pitched. Redshirt freshman right-handed pitcher Owen Powell earned his first save after surrendering four runs (three earned) on six hits with three strikeouts in 4.0 innings pitched.