GREENVILLE, S.C. – Francis Marion University advanced to the final of an NCAA Division II Baseball Southeast Regional Championship with a win on Friday night. The three other Conference Carolinas teams competing fell on Friday.

NORTH GREENVILLE REGIONAL - TOURNAMENT PAGE

No. 5 Francis Marion def. No. 1 North Greenville, 6-4
Josh Foulks gave North Greenville a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning with a run-scoring double. The Trailblazers extended their lead to 2-0 on a Lane McGaha home run in the fourth inning. The Patriots responded in the bottom of the inning with a pair of runs to tie the game, the final one on a Myles Proffitt single.

Will Dorrell gave Francis Marion a 3-2 lead with a run-scoring groundout in the fifth inning. Ethan McAnally extended the lead with a three-run home run in the seventh inning. North Greenville fought back and loaded the bases in the eighth, but Eze Rojas got the final two outs to leave the bases loaded. The Trailblazers added two runs on a Foulks home run in the ninth, but that was all the Patriots allowed to take the game 6-4.

North Greenville plays fourth seed the University of North Georgia in an elimination game at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday. Francis Marion will face the winner of that contest at 6:00 p.m. for the regional championship. Francis Marion needs one win to take the title while North Greenville and North Georgia will need to defeat Francis Marion twice.

CATAWBA REGIONAL - TOURNAMENT PAGE

No. 3 Wingate def. Belmont Abbey, 14-10
Wingate jumped ahead with a two-run home run in the top of the first, but Joe Whitaker pulled Belmont Abbey within 2-1 with a run-scoring double in the bottom of the inning. The Bulldogs extended their lead to 3-1 with a run in the third, but Whitaker came back with a three-run home run in the bottom of the inning to give Belmont Abbey a 4-3 lead.

However, Wingate responded with 10 runs in the top of the fourth to take a 13-4 lead. Belmont Abbey fought back with runs in the fourth and fifth. Caleb Burr ripped a home run for the Crusaders in the fifth. Wingate extended their lead to 14-6 with a run in the seventh before another Burr home run in the bottom of the inning. Jacob Steinberg laced a home run in the ninth, but that was all Wingate allowed as the Bulldogs took the contest 14-10.

Belmont Abbey ends the season with a 38-16 record.

No. 2 Catawba def. No. 6 Young Harris, 17-5
Catawba wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, scoring six runs in the top of the first inning. The Indians added a run in the fourth and another in the seventh to take an 8-0 lead. Young Harris cut their deficit in half with four runs to pull within 8-4. However, Catawba put the game out of reach with nine runs in the ninth. The Mountain Lions added one in the bottom half, but Catawba took the game 17-5.

Young Harris faces third seed Wingate University in an elimination game at 2:00 p.m. The winner will then face Catawba at 6:00 p.m. Wingate and Young Harris will need to defeat Catawba twice to take the regional title while Catawba only needs one win.