BRISTOL, TN – Redshirt junior right fielder
Charlie Bussey III joined exclusive company in Division II history after eclipsing 100 runs scored in a single season, as No. 6 Francis Marion University completed a series sweep of King University with a 12-9 win in the regular-season finale of Conference Carolinas baseball play.
The Patriots close the regular season with an impressive 40-10 overall record, achieving back-to-back 40-win seasons for the first time since 2011-12. FMU also finished with a 27-6 mark in conference play and currently sits second in the KPI rankings, which determines tournament seeding. The Conference Carolinas will release the tournament bracket this evening after the conclusion of all league contests.
Francis Marion sets its sights on the Conference Carolinas Championship, which will be hosted April 29-May 3 at CaroMont Health Park in Gastonia, N.C. The Patriots will begin their tournament journey on Thursday, April 30, with an opponent and times to be determined.
Bussey III became just the fifth player in NCAA Division II history to surpass 100 runs scored in a single season and currently ranks fourth all-time with 101. The record is held by a pair of players from the University of Central Missouri, Eric Errante (2004) and Eric Stuckenschneider (1994), who both registered 103 runs scored.
In the series finale, four Patriots recorded multiple-hit performances, led by sophomore center fielder
Adrian Nina, who finished 3-for-4 with a triple, four runs batted in, and two runs scored. Senior first baseman
Riley Orr went 3-for-5 at the plate with one RBI, one run scored, and one walk. Bussey finished 2-for-3 with three runs scored and two walks, while freshman third baseman
Myles Proffitt tallied two hits, one RBI, and one run scored.
On the mound, junior right-handed pitcher
Mason Huffstickler (3-1) earned the win after allowing seven earned runs on seven hits with two strikeouts and five walks in 6.0 innings pitched (103 pitches). Fellow junior righty
Cole Gursky secured the save after tossing 3.0 scoreless frames with only one hit surrendered and a pair of strikeouts.
Francis Marion got the board in the top of the first following an RBI groundout by senior left fielder
Will Dorrell, 1-0.
The Tornado countered in the bottom of the first with a three-run homer with two outs after drawing a pair of walks.
Both sides tallied a run in the second frame, including an RBI sacrifice fly by freshman shortstop
Logan Davis, as King continued to lead by a 4-2 margin.
In the top of the fourth, the Patriots unleashed a five-run inning with five hits, highlighted by a bases-clearing three-run triple to center field by junior designated hitter
Ethan McAnally.
Orr added to the FMU lead in the top of the sixth with a two-out RBI triple to right-center to increase the lead to 8-4. King responded in the bottom half of the inning with three runs on two hits to close the gap to 8-7.
The Patriots regained their four-run lead in the top of the seventh following a two-run triple to center field by Nina before Proffitt delivered an RBI sacrifice fly, 11-7.
FMU added an insurance run in top of the eighth following a throwing error before King managed to score a pair in the bottom of the ninth, 12-9.
Gavin Ture (0-4) of King suffered the loss in Game 3.
