(photo by Eddie Sherrer)

AIKEN, SC - Junior left-hander Josh Edgin tossed a two-hit shutout to give seventh-ranked and second-seeded Francis Marion University a 5-0 win over 30th-ranked and fifth-seeded Tusculum College, Thursday afternoon (May 14) in the opening round of the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Baseball Tournament.

Francis Marion improves to 37-13-1 with its 16th straight win and advances to face 21st-ranked and fourth-seeded Catawba College on Friday at 7 p.m.  Catawba beat Georgia College & State University 7-5 in Thursday's opener.  Tusculum (36-17) will face the USC Aiken/Belmont Abbey College loser on Friday at 11 a.m.

The 37 wins is the second-highest season total for Francis Marion.

Edgin (4-2) retired 13 consecutive batters through the middle innings while the Patriots finally dented the scoreboard, scoring three times in the fourth and twice in the fifth frame.  The 6-2, 225-pound native of Three Springs, Pa., struck out six and walked only one batter.  He needed only 94 pitches in the game that lasted only 2:01. 

He allowed singles in the third and seventh innings and no Pioneer runner reached third base.  Including his streak in the middle innings, he retired 21 of the final 22 Tusculum batters.

FMU junior outfielders Martin Gordon and Alex Lee were both 2-for-4 at the top of the FMU lineup, while freshman left fielder Tyler Boyd was 2-for-4 in the No.9 spot.

In the fourth inning, Patriot catcher Jared Barkdoll walked to lead off the inning.  Following an infield error and a sacrifice bunt, FMU had runners on second and third.  Sophomore first baseman Preston Shuey plated the game's first run with a sacrifice fly to right center field.  Jacob Wallace scored Francis Marion's second run when he scored from second on a single through the right side by Josh Biggers.  On the play, the throw from Tusculum right fielder Jared Richmond beat Wallace to the plate, but Tusculum catcher Sean Finucane dropped the ball when Wallace collided with him at the plate.  Biggers scored the third run on an RBI double down the left field line by Boyd.

The Patriots tallied a pair of runs in the fifth to lead 5-0.  Lee dropped a double onto the left field line to lead off the frame.  One batter later, he scored on a hit-and-run single through the left side by Barkdoll, the school's all-time RBI leader.  Kleinknecht scored the second run on an RBI fielder's choice grounder by Wallace.

Richmond and second baseman Payden Houser had the two Tusculum hits.  Senior righty Max Keleher (7-3) was tagged with the loss as he allowed seven hits and the five runs, although only one of the runs was earned.

Quotes from Game Two

Francis Marion Head Coach Art Inabinet - "Well I thought Josh Edgin was dominant today, I don't think he walked but one hitter, and anytime you walk just one batter, you give yourself the chance to not only win the game, but do what he did today.  We knew that several of Tusculum's top batters hit from the left side, so we wanted to put a southpaw on the mound.  We gave Josh the ball and got out of his way. His effort also gave us a chance to save our bullpen, and those arms will be needed to pitch later in the tournament."

"We played less than a week ago and that gave our hitters a chance to see live pitches, and our pitchers to see live batters.  This helped them be sharp, rather than if we had been sitting for a long period of time.

"I wouldn't be surprise me to see them (Tusculum) get better as the tournament moves along."

On Catawba - "We watched them a bit, but have not played them this year.  But we're more concerned with the things we do, than any of our opponents."

Improvements for tomorrow - "We have to do a little bit better job of getting guys in scoring position, we left several on base today. Stats say seven, but it felt more like 12 or 15."

FMU Pitcher Josh Edgin - "I felt like I just needed to get the ball over the plate, and my defense would make plays -- ground ball or pop up -- and that's what happened."

Playing here last week - "I like the mound, I feel that having that earlier championship game, made me feel comfortable, and since we had played here, I was comfortable with my team and the field."

Tusculum Head Coach Doug Jones - "I think, you just have to tip your hat to (Josh) Edgin, the game he threw and the command he showed for the entire game was impressive.  I think that was the difference in the game."

"When we had an opportunity to get a guy in scoring, we popped up and wasted those opportunities."

"The difference was the command and the job he (Edgin) did."

"Frankly, we looked like we hadn't played in two weeks, offense was slow with the bats, and the defense made three errors, gave up five runs and only one of those was earned."

On Pitcher Maz Keleher -  "I thought he battled really well there early in the game, the only issue I had with him was the lead off walk to start the 4th inning, that really was the only thing real negative I had with him, and we couldn't make a couple plays behind him, and good teams like Francis Marion take advantage of that."

"He (Keleher) gave us a chance, as did Michael Franklin who came in and gave us a chance to get things going offensively."

Tomorrow's Situation - "Everybody will play like it's an elimination game, which it is, and we wont take very long to make switches and go to the bull pen.  I don't know who will throw tomorrow, we're going to watch the game tonight to see who we will pitch.  C.J. Hillyer or Boo Morrow will be our two choices."