Patriots split doubleheader with visiting Flagler College

Freshman right fielder Kolby Crepeau drilled a 3-run double and senior shortstop Todd Mattox drove in two runs to help Francis Marion to a 5-2 victory over Flagler College in game one of Saturday’s Peach Belt Conference baseball doubleheader. 

The visiting Saints scored four runs in the seventh and eighth innings to snap a 2-2 tie and claim the second contest, 6-2. 

The split moves FMU to 12-11 overall and 10-11 in PBC play, while Flagler is now 8-18 and 7-13. 

The Patriots will host Georgia College in a PBC twinbill Wednesday at 3 p.m. Those games are part of the season-opening series that was rained out back in February. 

In their first game against Flagler, the Patriots snapped the 1-1 deadlock with four runs in the sixth. Mattox drove in the go-ahead run with a one-out bases-loaded flare single into shallow right center field. Crepeau followed with a bases-clearing 3-run double down the left field line. 

Malcom Wakefield and Mattox both rapped out two hits in the first game. 

FMU senior southpaw Weston Rogers (3-3) pitched six strong innings to even his season mark. He scattered seven hits, allowed one run, walked just one, and fanned five. 

Flagler senior right-hander Kyle Morton (1-4) went the distance for the Saints. 

The Saints opened the scoring in the second contest with a pair of first-inning runs. Held to only one hit over the first four frames by Flagler freshman left-hander Daniel Fischer, FMU finally broke through against the Saints’ bullpen in the fifth to tie the game at 2-2. 

Flagler registered the go-ahead run in the seventh off righty Christian Umphlett (1-1), who extended his program record for pitching appearances to 77. Pinch-hitter Myles Colangelo drilled a one-out ground-rule double that plated left fielder Chase Carney. The Saints would add three insurance runs in the eighth to lead 6-2. 

FMU did get the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the ninth, but could not come up with the big hit. That rally included a hit by Crepeau and a pinch-hit single by Wilson High School product Harrison Bigham, who was making his collegiate debut. 

Jeff Hanna and Wakefield each collected two hits in the second contest.