FLORENCE, S.C. – A RBI single by Buddy Sosnoskie in the bottom of the sixth helped 23rd-ranked Francis Marion stake claim to a 5-1 lead, but the Patriots had to hold off a late rally by visiting and 30th-ranked UNCP en route to a 5-4 win in the series opener on Sunday at Cormell Field.

The setback snapped a five-game winning streak for UNCP (23-11, 10-8 PBC) – its longest since capturing the first eight games of the season. Francis Marion (23-11, 11-7) captured its fourth-straight outing, while also running its series winning streak out to seven-straight.

Kyle Adair walked and singled three times on a perfect 3-for-3 hitting performance for UNCP, who also got a 2-for-4 outing from Brad Bridgeman as well. Max Gagnon hit a solo homer to earmark a 1-for-4 outing in the contest. Francis Marion got a trio of multi-hit outings on the day, including a 3-for-4 hitting exhibition from leadoff hitter Jarrod Reed. Tyler Hibbs (2-for-3) and Michael Wilson (2-for-4) booked multiple hits as well, while Brian Paulhus drove in a pair of runs and scored twice on a 1-for-3 exhibition.

Brad Isom (5-2) picked up his first loss in three weeks after allowing five runs (three earned) on 10 hits in 6-1/3 innings from the hill. He also struck out one. Jeffrey Stoner (5-2) scattered seven hits and struck out six in 6-1/3 innings of work and picked up the win despite allowing three earned runs as well. Tyler Hibbs nabbed his second save of the campaign with 2-1/3 innings of scoreless relief.

The Patriots utilized a costly fielding error by the Braves, as well as a two-run single from Paulhus, to plate a pair of runs in the bottom of the second, but coupled it with a sac fly from Sosnoskie to take a 3-0 lead into the third. Gagnon's solo shot with two outs in the top of the third cut UNCP's deficit back to 3-1, but the Patriots pushed their lead out to 5-1 with a lone run in the bottom of the frame, as well as another score in the sixth.

UNCP got to within a run with three scores in the top of the seventh and nearly knotted the game back up in the eighth, but Victor Zecca was thrown out at the plate attempting to score from second base on a Bridgeman single to right field.