Patriot rally falls short, FMU loses 10-7

Trailing by 10 runs entering the bottom of the eighth inning, Francis Marion University rallied to place the tying run on base in the last of the ninth, but the Patriots fell 10-7 to Barton College, Thursday afternoon (Feb. 12) in non-conference baseball action.

FMU falls to 3-3, while Barton moves to 6-3. The Patriots will host Davis & Elkins College for a three-game series this weekend, beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday at 1 p.m. Barton hosts defending national champion Mount Olive College for a three-game Conference Carolinas series this weekend, also starting with a twinbill on Saturday.

Sophomore left-hander Kramer Sneed (1-0) silenced the FMU bats at the beginning, tossing five shutout innings while allowing only two hits. The Bulldogs knocked Patriot starter David Walters (1-1) off the mound in the third frame, as the senior righty allowed six runs in 2.2 innings of work.

The margin would grow to 10-0 in the top of the seventh, and that was still the score as FMU came to bat in the bottom of the eighth frame. Francis Marion then used four hits and five walks issued by Barton relievers to pull to within 10-6. Freshman designated hitter Tyler Boyd, the tying run, was retired on a soft liner to the second baseman behind the bag with the bases loaded to end the inning.

In the ninth, FMU again loaded the bases and drew to within 10-7 on an RBI single to right field by junior outfielder Alex Lee. With the bases loaded, including the tying run on first, and only one out, the Patriots had a chance to complete one of the biggest comebacks in team history. However, Barton junior southpaw Wesley Francis retired Martin Gordon on a fly out to shallow center field and then struck out Matt O’Rourke to end the rally.

Francis earned his first save of the season. He started in the Bulldog outfield before moving to the mound in the final inning. He was also 2-for-5 at the plate with two runs batted in.

Lee led Francis Marion at the plate with a 3-for-5 day that included a pair of RBIs. Reserve infielder John Lewis Floyd was 2-for-2 with two runs scored and two RBIs, while junior catcher Jacob Wallace also collected two hits.

For Barton, freshman shortstop Chris Rawlings was 3-for-5 with two runs scored and three RBIs, while senior catcher Brandon Sneed was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and Zach Boyette was 1-for-2 with two runs scored and two RBIs.

By Michael G. Hawkins