FLORENCE, SC – Sixth-ranked Francis Marion University rallied from a six-run deficit only to see visiting USC Aiken score twice in the ninth to claim a 10-8 win over the Patriots, Tuesday evening (Apr. 21) in non-conference baseball play.
Francis Marion drops to 37-10, and the Patriots finish their 2026 home slate with a 21-7 mark.
FMU will conclude the regular season with a three-game Conference Carolinas series this weekend at King University in Bristol, Tenn. The series will consist of a single game on Friday at 2 p.m. and a Saturday doubleheader at 1 p.m.
A trio of Patriots registered two hits each: senior first baseman
Riley Orr, junior outfielder
Charlie Bussey III, and freshman shortstop
Logan Davis. Orr drove in three runs, while Bussey III had two RBIs.
The Pacers (34-13) took an early lead by scoring three runs on four hits in the top of the third.
Francis Marion answered immediately with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame. Davis led off with a double down the left field line, and then moved to third on a fly out. Junior catcher
Zander Buchan plated Davis with FMU's first run on a single up the middle. Bussey III doubled to left-center field putting runners on second and third, and junior designated hitter
Ethan McAnally followed with a sacrifice fly to trim the deficit to 3-2. Bussey III's two-bagger was the 116th of the season for the Patriots setting a new program record.
USCA followed its three-run third with three more runs in the fourth to expand the margin to 6-2. Two more runs in the fifth swelled the advantage to 8-2.
That lead remained until the bottom of the seventh when FMU scored six times on four hits and one costly error to tie the game at 8-8. Senior left fielder
Will Dorrell led off with a single and junior third baseman
Brandon Vargas was hit by a pitch. Senior center fielder
Daniel Hussey reached on an error allowing Dorrell to score.
The next two batters were both retired on fly outs leaving two on and two out. Buchan worked a walk to load the bases and Bussey III came through with a sharp single through the left side that plated two runners. With two strikes, McAnally chopped a ball to third base that went for an infield single reloading the bases and Orr followed with a line-drive double down the left field line that cleared the bases and knotted the score at 8-8.
The first two batters in the top of the eighth reached with walks for USC Aiken. FMU junior right-handed reliever
Jafet Martinez Delgado (4-2) retired the next two batters by strikeout, before red-shirt freshman second baseman
Myles Proffitt made a diving stop behind second base that resulted in an field hit, but kept a run from scoring. The next batter grounded out to end the threat.
After FMU went three-up and three-down in the eighth, the Pacers were able to push across two runs in the top of the ninth to regain the lead at 10-8 as catcher Donovan Glisson lifted an RBI-single to left and the second run scored on a throwing error.
Proffitt was hit by a pitch to start off the bottom of the ninth, but USCA lefty closer CJ Lincoln (5-4) retired the next three batters including Bussey III and McAnally to end the game. Those two have combined for 34 homers and 144 RBIs this season.
Patriot senior righty
Robbie Jordan, the program's career wins leader, made his final start at Sparrow Stadium, but got a no-decision after pitching seven innings.
