SAVANNAH, Ga. – Junior designated hitter
Michael Ward extended his hitting streak to 11 games with an RBI
single in the bottom of the eighth inning to give 12th-ranked
Francis Marion University a 1-0 win over 26th-ranked Armstrong
Atlantic State University and a sweep of a Peach Belt Conference
baseball doubleheader, Sunday afternoon (April 9). Sophomore left
fielder Justin Greene hit a two-out, three-run triple in the
bottom of the eighth inning of game one to snap a 3-3 tie and
lead FMU to an 8-5 victory.Francis Marion improves to 27-11 overall and 11-6 in the PBC, while AASU falls to 27-8-1 and 7-7. The Patriots, who have won 13 of their last 16 games, are one game out of first place in the conference. The two teams will conclude their rain-delayed PBC series with a single game on Monday at 2 p.m.
The second game was a pitchers’ duel between FMU junior left-hander Lee Tabor (7-2) and AASU junior righty John Ducey (5-1). Tabor struck out eight, while walking only one. Ducey allowed only one runner to reach third base until the eighth and final inning. With one out, junior right fielder Nick Stewart hit a ground-rule double to center field. After an intentional walk to FMU RBI-leader Taylor Norfleet, Ward lined a single up the middle to plate Stewart with the winning run.
FMU leadoff batter Derek Kennamer paced the Patriots in game two with a 3-for-4 showing, while Stewart was 2-for-4. AASU left fielder Brad Bohannon (2-for-4) and right fielder Truman Marek (2-for-3) both had two hits for the Pirates in the second contest.
Game one was a low-scoring contest until the late innings. Behind sophomore right-hander Dylan Owen (7-1), FMU took a 3-1 advantage into the eighth frame. Pirate left fielder Jarin Lewis lifted a wind-aided, two-run homer over the right field fence to knot the score at 3-3. In the bottom of the frame, Greene laced his three-run triple into the left center field gap to put FMU ahead 6-3. Greene then scored on a ground ball by Stewart that was misplayed. Stewart later scored on a Norfleet RBI single to give the Patriots an 8-3 advantage. That hit gave Norfleet 33 runs batted in, a new Patriot season record for a freshman.
AASU tallied two runs in the top of the ninth, before senior southpaw Ryan Ariail earned his fifth save by inducing clean-up hitter Miguel Donate to ground into a game-ending double play with the tying run on base. Earlier in the inning, Marc Noble walked with the bases load to drive in one run and Daniel Heflin stroked an RBI single through the right side.
Owen struck out nine batters, while righty Austin Ducey (2-3) took the loss for AASU.
Omar Quiles (2-for-4) was the lone Patriot with two hits, while junior first baseman Andy Howes belted a 410-foot solo home run in the sixth inning. Noble was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI for the Pirates, while Lewis was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored and Heflin was 2-for-5 with an RBI.