DUE WEST, S.C. – The Erskine College baseball team (24-22, 18-12 CC) split a series-ending doubleheader with No. 8 Francis Marion University (37-9, 24-6 CC) at Grier Field on Saturday afternoon on Senior Day.

The Fleet honored 17 seniors on this year's team to start the action-packed day and used a big eight-run fifth inning to take the middle game of the series by a score of 14-9.

THE ESSENTIALS 
Conf. Carolinas Standings | Stats | Scores
Div. II Scores | Record Book | CC Digital Network
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1: Erskine 14-9 Francis Marion (Final / 7 innings)
High-powered Francis Marion took an early 4-0 lead after an inning and a half, but the Fleet got on the board in the second with an Adrian Rolon sacrifice fly. FMU regained its four-run advantage in the top of the third, but a bases-loaded hit by pitch by Danny Villafane and a Patriots error moments later allowed the Fleet to score three runs in the bottom half and get within a run. The Patriots scored again in the top of the fourth, but Gio Lopez answered with his first collegiate home run in the bottom half, a game-tying two-run blast over the left field fence. The eighth-ranked Patriots did go back in front with three runs in the top of the fifth, but the Fleet had a big response. Jack Luthren got it started with a two-run single and then Lopez added an RBI base hit to tie the game again. Cole Savage came off the bench and delivered a go-ahead RBI single that gave the Fleet their first lead of the day. A few batters later, Drew Potts chipped in with an RBI single of his own, before Mason McManus capped the eight-run frame with an exclamation point, a three-run home run that made it 14-9 after five crazy innings. Jared Guell and Kyle Knoll then provided the answers on the mound, each working scoreless frames to put the finishing touches on a top-10 upset win for the Fleet.

Game 2: Francis Marion 25-9 Erskine
Setting the stage for a rubber match to close the weekend and the Fleet's home regular season games in 2026, it was Erskine who started fast. Danny Villafane's RBI single opened the scoring in the very first inning. In the second, Noah Hill doubled the Fleet's lead with a solo home run, his fifth big fly of the year. Luke Garabedian and Drew Potts each added RBIs of their own in the frame as well and the Fleet had a 4-0 lead after three innings. FMU broke through with three runs in the fourth and added three more in the fifth to go in front. But, the Fleet responded in the bottom half, thanks to a game-tying two-run double from Jacob Platt. Then, Garabedian continued his big game at the plate, launching his first Erskine home run, a two-run blast over the right field fence that put the Fleet back in front, 8-6, after five innings. However, the best scoring offense in Division II put that on display over the next four innings and the Fleet were unable to steal the series.

WHAT'S NEXT?
Erskine continues its gauntlet to end the regular season with its final mid-week tilt of the year, a trip to No. 13 University of North Georgia (35-11, 24-3 PBC) on Tuesday at 4 p.m.

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