Sunday, April 2, 2006

PATRIOTS SWEEP SAINTS ON DIAMOND

Florence, SC – Francis Marion University took advantage of a ninth-inning error to win game one and Patriot pitchers fanned 10 batters in game two as 13th-ranked FMU swept a Peach Belt Conference baseball doubleheader from North Georgia College & State University, Saturday afternoon (April 1) at Cormell Field. FMU won game one 3-2 and took the second game 4-2.

Francis Marion is now 24-10 overall and 9-5 in the Peach Belt, while conference newcomer NGCSU falls to 20-18 and 2-9. The two teams will complete their three-game series with a single game on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Trailing 2-0 in the opener, FMU senior second baseman Omar Quiles drilled a two-homer in the bottom of the sixth inning to tie the score. It is only the second round-tripper for Qulies in 302 career at bats in a Patriot uniform.

Francis Marion left fielder Justin Greene opened the last of the ninth inning with a double. Leadoff batter Derek Kennamer then attempted to bunt Greene over to third. However, North Georgia reliever Mark Thomas picked up the ball and threw wildly past third base allowing Greene to score the winning run.

FMU sophomore right-hander Dylan Owen (6-1) struck out 12 batters in a complete-game effort, while Thomas (4-2) suffered the loss. Owen only allowed seven hits.

Patriot freshman Jared Barkdoll and Quiles were both 2-for-3 in game one. Second baseman Brian Lauderdale and center fielder Dusty Tate both collected two hits for North Georgia. The Saints took a 2-0 lead off Owen in the second frame by scoring one run on a Patriot error and one on Davy Wallach’s two-out RBI double.

In game two, Francis Marion opened a 4-0 advantage after four innings. Freshman third baseman Taylor Norfleet doubled home a run in the first, Barkdoll singled in a run in the third, and Greene hit an RBI-triple in the fourth and later scored on a Kennamer sacrifice fly.

The Saints rallied against FMU lefty Lee Tabor (6-2) with a pair of unearned runs in the fifth. Lauderdale delivered a run-scoring single and Erik Good walked with the bases loaded to account for the two runs.

FMU senior southpaw Ryan Ariail earned his fourth save of the season by striking out the side in the seventh (and final) inning. FMU first baseman Andy Howes was 2-for-3 in the second game, the only player to record more than one hit on either squad.

Box Score, Game 1

Box Score, Game 2

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