AIKEN, S.C. - On a weekend where bats and offense ruled the 2009 Peach Belt Conference Baseball Tournament, Francis Marion University juniors Josh Edgin and Barrett Kleinknecht combined on a five-hitter as the ninth-ranked and second-seeded Patriots captured their first-ever tournament title with a 4-1 win over North Georgia College & State University, Sunday night (May 10).

Francis Marion extends its winning streak to a school-record 15 games, is now 36-13-1, and earns the PBC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division II National Tournament.

Earlier in the day, FMU had beaten 29th-ranked and sixth-seeded UNC Pembroke 12-9 in the semifinal round at USC Aiken's Roberto Hernandez Stadium.

Edgin improved to 3-2 by allowing only three hits and one run in seven innings, while striking out nine.  He held the Saints hitless in to the fifth inning.  Kleinknecht pitched the final two innings to earn his sixth save of the year, and his third in as many games at the PBC Tournament.  Kleinknecht struck out the side in the top of the ninth, despite also allowing two singles.

Kleinknecht was named the tournament MVP, while Edgin and and sophomore first baseman Preston Shuey were named to the All-Tournament Team.

Senior catcher Jared Barkdoll was 4-for-4 and scored once to pace FMU at the plate.

The Patriots got on the board first in the bottom of the second as Keon Graves led off with a single. He then stole second and advance to third on a throwing error by NGCSU catcher Daniel Pettiti. He later scored on a sacrifice fly from Tyler Boyd.

FMU added another run in the bottom of third. With two outs, Barkdoll and Jacob Wallace both singled and Graves walked to load the bases. Shuey then sent a roller over to second that allowed Barkdoll to score on the fielder's choice. NGCSU starter James Wiley then ended the inning by getting Josh Biggers to ground out to second.

After North Georgia trimmed the margin to 2-1 in the fifth, FMU scored twice in the sixth frame.  The first run was scored on a pair of bizarre errors. Shuey led off the inning with a fly ball to deep right that bounced in and out of the glove of the Saints' rightfielder. Shuey motored around second and Fryman attempted to throw him out at third and committed his second error of the play as the throw got away, allowing Shuey to circle the bases to score. Boyd later singled and scored the second run of the inning on Martin Gordon's double to left.

The two runs signaled the end of the night for Wiley (1-5), who left after 5.1 innings and allowing four runs, two earned, on eight hits with three strikeouts. Nick White pitched 2.2 innings of two-hit relief for the Saints.

FMU Head Coach Art Inabinet said, "North Georgia has a very good team, and every time we play them, we get their best effort. But tonight we had a few things go our way, and we pitched extremely well, allowing us to come out on top."

"About four weeks ago, we started playing good baseball, and we've found ways to win games, whether low scoring and a defensive games or the high scoring ones.  The whole team has matured and improved over the season. We've come a long way from midway in the season."

Edgin added, "I feel like at the beginning of the season, we weren't as meshed together.  It took a couple games to get going, but once we got going, the chemistry is still going."

In the win over UNCP, Kleinknecht was 4-for-5 at the plate, scoring three runs, homering, and recording three RBIs. Barkdoll was 2-for-4 with two RBIs, while Shuey homered and drove in two runs.

Kleinknecht moved over from his shortstop position in the bottom of the ninth to collect the save by pitching a scoreless ninth.   Pitching in relief of southpaw starter Jeremiah Meiners, FMU righty Erik Sommerville (5-3) pitched 4.2 innings and fanned one.

UNCP starter Josh Bagley took the loss, pitching 3.2 innings and allowing six earned runs while striking out just one Patriot batter.

UNCP catcher Edmund Locklear led the Braves at the plate on Sunday afternoon. Locklear was 3-for-5 with a run and an RBI.  Seth Kivett captured UNCP's lone home run in the contest.

UNC Pembroke opened the game by taking an early 4-0 advantage, but Francis Marion took things over in the top half of the fourth with eight runs.

The eight-run inning was part of a three-inning stretch for the Patriots that saw them score all 12 of their runs. FMU followed up the eight run fourth with one in the fifth and three more in the top of the sixth.

PBC All-Tournament Team
Jason Coker, UNC Pembroke
Shannon Wilkerson, Augusta State
Tim Rawlings, Augusta State
Craig Brisson, North Georgia
Andre Airich, North Georgia
Chad Sage, North Georgia
Josh Edgin, Francis Marion
Preston Shuey, Francis Marion
Tournament MVP
Barrett Kleinknecht, Francis Marion