GASTONIA, NC – Playing its second elimination game on Saturday night (May 10), seventh-ranked Francis Marion University was unable to overcome a six-run fourth inning by No. 2-ranked North Greenville University in an 11-3 loss in the Conference Carolinas Baseball Tournament at CaroMont Health Park.
The Patriots (42-12) bow out of the league tournament after posting a 2-2 record in the postseason. Francis Marion will now await the NCAA Selection Show, which will take place at 10 p.m. on Sunday, May 10. FMU appeared fifth in the NCAA Southeast regional rankings, which were released on Wednesday, and will look to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012.
Senior first baseman
Riley Orr recorded his 23rd multi-hit game of the season after finishing 2-for-4 at the plate. Junior designated hitter
Ethan McAnally extended his on-base streak to 39-straight games following a 1-for-3 performance. Additionally, McAnally was named to the All-Tournament Team.
Sophomore right-handed pitcher
Tyler Skeen (1-2) suffered the loss after surrendering eight earned runs on nine hits with three strikeouts and two walks in 3.1 innings pitched (74 pitches). Redshirt junior righty
Zeph Arnold tossed 1.1 innings of scoreless relief (28 pitches) with two strikeouts and one walk, while fellow redshirt junior right-handed pitcher
Cole Gursky closed out the final 3.0 innings (58 pitches) and allowed two earned runs on four hits with four strikeouts.
The Trailblazers (45-9) jumped in front in the bottom of the first inning with a two-out, two-run shot to left field to take a 2-0 edge. North Greenville added to the lead in the second frame with a sacrifice fly to push its advantage to 3-0.
Francis Marion answered back in the top of the third as freshman third baseman
Myles Proffitt launched a solo homer to right field to trim the deficit to 3-1, his fourth blast of the season.
In the top of the fourth, the Patriots closed the gap to 3-2 after sophomore left fielder
Adrian Nina recorded an RBI on a groundball to third but ultimately reached due to a throwing error. The next at-bat, FMU appeared to tie the game at 3-3 as senior second baseman
Will Dorrell stole home, but following video review, the call was overturned to out.
The Trailblazers would break open the game in the bottom half of the fourth after tallying six runs on four hits, highlighted by a grand slam to left field, 9-2.
North Greenville would add a combined two insurance runs in the seventh and eighth innings to stretch the lead to 11-2.
Francis Marion scored the final run of the contest in the top of the ninth after sixth-year center fielder
Daniel Hussey scored on a wild pitch, 11-3.
Oliver Adams (4-0) of NGU earned the win after tossing 8.0 innings (101 pitches) with just two earned runs allowed on five hits with three strikeouts.
