MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. – The No. 20-ranked Lander baseball team saw the most successful season in the 15-year history of the program come to an end Saturday afternoon when the Bearcats lost to No. 6-ranked Francis Marion, 10-3, in the elimination round of the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Tournament hosted by Mount Olive College at Scarborough Field.

The sixth-seeded Bearcats (38-20) finished the season with a school-record for victories in a season and also advanced to the regional tournament for the first time.

The fourth-seeded Patriots (39-17) will face No. 2-ranked and second-seeded Tusculum at 8:30 p.m. today (Saturday) to battle for a spot in the championship game.

The Patriots' Jeffrey Stoner (6-3) earned the win in relief after striking out four, walking one and allowing one earned run on four hits in 4.1 innings pitched.

Lander starter Scott Elitzky (4-3) was tagged the loser, striking out three, walking four and allowing six earned runs on five hits in 4.1 innings of action.

FMU took a 3-0 lead in the second inning on Stephen Tarkenton's RBI double, Brian Paulhus' sacrifice fly and Michael Wilson's fielder's choice . The Patriots then stretched the margin to 5-0 in the third on Buddy Sosnoskie's two-run homer.

Lander cut the FMU lead to 5-2 in the fourth when Jacob Tisdale advanced home on a bases-loaded walk and Jeff May scored on a fielding error.

FMU made it 7-2 in the fifth on RBI singles by Tyler Boyd and Paulhus, then extended the lead to 8-2 in the sixth on Jarrod Reed's sacrifice fly.

The Bearcats scored their final run in the seventh when Weston Lawing's RBI double drove in Kevin Starr.

The Patriots concluded the scoring in the eighth on Sosnoskie's RBI double that scored Wilson and Brock McCallister.

For Lander, Kevin Childs batted 3-for-3 and Tisdale went 2-for-4.

FMU's Sosnoskie went 3-for-4 and Paulhus 2-for-3.