SAVANNAH, Ga. - No. 29-ranked Francis Marion pounded out 16 hits and 19 runs, including a 12-run eighth inning, in taking a 19-2 Peach Belt Conference baseball victory over host Armstrong Atlantic State on Saturday afternoon at Pirate Field.

The Patriots (9-5-1, 3-1 PBC) handed the Pirates (6-7, 0-4 PBC) their fourth straight loss, and did so with an impressive offensive display.

Francis Marion's Alex Lee got the Patriots on the board in the first with a solo home run, then the visitors added five runs in the top of the second, highlighted by Barrett Kleinknecht's bases-clearing double that drove in three. 

The Patriots added a single run the fourth on a sacrifice fly, then broke things open in the eighth, sending 16 men to the plate and collecting nine hits in the inning, capped off by Preston Shuey's three-run home run to deep left field. 

AASU scored single runs in the eighth and ninth innings, on RBI singles by Cory Thacker and Kenny Cail, respectively.

All the offense made an easy winner out of David Walters (2-1), who limited the Pirates to just one hit in seven shutout innings, striking out two and walking one. Jeff Chase (1-3) took the loss for AASU, giving up seven hits and seven runs - six earned - in six innings pitched.

The two teams will wrap up their three-game Peach Belt Conference series with a doubleheader on Sunday at 11:00 a.m.