Francis Marion baseball picked up its most dramatic and hard-fought series win of the season, taking two of three on the road against 15th-ranked Young Harris College. The Patriots bounced back from a heartbreaking walk-off loss in game one with clutch performances in games two and three, improving to 13-6 overall and 4-5 in Conference Carolinas play.

Game One: Young Harris Walks It Off in the Ninth

The series opener looked well in hand for Francis Marion through most of the contest. A hot start saw the Patriots jump out to a 4-0 lead behind RBI from senior shortstop Rayth Petersen and second baseman Owen Taylor. Taylor’s two-out single in the third brought Petersen home from first, followed by a double from senior designated hitter Noah Stout that gave FMU breathing room.

Senior righty Robbie Jordan worked six solid innings on the mound, scattering eight hits and allowing just two runs while striking out five. The Patriots led 5-2 heading into the final three innings.

But Young Harris chipped away, scoring once in the seventh and saving their biggest swing for the ninth. With the bases loaded and two outs, the Mountain Lions’ Mark Castle delivered the dagger — a walk-off RBI single that sealed a 6-5 win and stunned the Patriots. Senior reliever Daemon Woodruff was tagged with the loss.

Game Two: Patriots Respond in Extras

With momentum favoring the home team, FMU responded in a major way in game two of Saturday’s doubleheader.

Senior lefty Rijnaldo Euson gave up three early runs in the first, but quickly found his rhythm. The veteran southpaw mowed through the Young Harris lineup for the next seven innings, allowing just six hits while striking out a season-high 11 batters.

The offense came alive in the fifth, as junior third baseman Jimmy Koza punched a single to right-center to cut into the deficit. Two batters later, senior outfielder Caleb Oakley brought home two more with a line drive to left field to tie the game at 3-3.

Oakley sparked the extra-inning rally in the eighth with a leadoff double. An error and passed ball moved the runners up, and with two outs, Taylor came through with an infield single to put FMU ahead. Junior catcher Dariel Villaran Goundis followed suit with another infield RBI single to make it 5-3 — a lead the Patriots would not surrender.

Goundis and Taylor each tallied three hits in the game, while Oakley and Charlie Bussey III added two apiece. Oakley extended his on-base streak to 18 games.

Game Three: Stout’s Ninth-Inning Bomb Clinches Series

With the series tied 1-1, Francis Marion delivered a knockout blow on Sunday afternoon.

Senior designated hitter Noah Stout came to the plate in the top of the ninth with two outs and two on, FMU holding a slim 8-7 lead. On the first pitch he saw, Stout crushed a three-run homer over the right field wall — the exclamation point on an 11-7 win and the series clincher.

The back-and-forth contest saw the Patriots strike first in the second inning. Junior center fielder Will Dorrell and Stout led off the frame with base hits before Taylor roped a triple into the gap, bringing both runners home.

Dorrell added a solo shot in the fourth, and Taylor finished a homer shy of the cycle, tallying three hits for the third straight game.

After a Young Harris rally cut FMU’s lead to one in the bottom of the eighth, Taylor once again sparked the offense. A leadoff double, wild pitch, and a sacrifice fly from Koza extended the lead to 8-6. The Mountain Lions scratched one more across, but it wouldn’t be enough to overcome Stout’s ninth-inning bomb.

Senior righty Josh Adams earned the win in relief, working 2.2 innings to steady the Patriots late.

Oakley turned in yet another multi-hit game — his eighth of the season — and extended his on-base streak to 19. Dorrell and senior outfielder Austin Bunn each chipped in with two hits as well.