FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 4-10-06

College Baseball: No. 12 Francis Marion 7, AASU 6 (10 inn.)

Release Courtesy of Francis Marion Sports Information

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Sophomore Justin Greene laced a one-out single to center field in the 10th inning that scored Jason Weaver from second base to give ninth-ranked Francis Marion University a 7-6 win over 25th-ranked Armstrong Atlantic State University, Monday afternoon (April 10) and a sweep of the three-game Peach Belt Conference baseball series.

Francis Marion wins for the 14th time in its last 17 games, while upping its overall mark to 28-11 and its PBC record to 12-6. The Pirates are now 27-9-1 and 7-8.

The Patriots will play host to St. Andrews Presbyterian College on Wednesday at 6 p.m., while AASU entertains Valdosta State University on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.

With one out in the tenth frame, Weaver reached on an error by Pirate second baseman Mitch Hudson. Center fielder Derek Kennamer then beat out a bunt single to first base. putting runners on first and second. Greene then connected on a 1-0 pitch from AASU junior right-hander David Whitfield (1-1) chasing home Weaver from second base.

FMU junior righty Brooks Sinquefield (1-1) got the win despite allowing four baserunners in a scoreless 1.1 innings.

Kennamer, Nick Stewart, Taylor Norfleet, and Omar Quiles all went 2-for-5 for the Patriots, with Norfleet and Quiles both driving in one run. Greene had a second RBI when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the eighth inning.

FMU carried a 6-4 lead into the ninth inning, and with closer Ryan Ariail on the mound got to within one strike of a regulation-game win. However, Brad Bohannon and Truman Marek both singled with two outs and designated hitter Miguel Donate knotted the score at 6-6 with a two-run double down the left field line.

Bohannon paced the Pirate attack with a 3-for-3 day that included an RBI and two runs scored. Marek and Donate were both 2-for-5. Marek started the scoring with an RBI single in the third frame.

The lead see-sawed back-and-forth with FMU leading 2-1 after four, AASU leading 3-2 after five, and the score tied at 3-3 after six. The Pirates took a 4-3 advantage in the top of the seventh when Pete Gundolff scored from third on a throwing error by FMU catcher Michael Ward. Francis Marion answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning and added a single tally in the eight to lead 6-4 going to the ninth inning.

Ward had an RBI single in the seventh to extend his hitting streak to 12 games.

- Pirates -