AIKEN, S.C. - Senior right-hander Justin Fry pitched a near complete game allowing only two runs and three hits to lift fifth-ranked and top-seeded USC Aiken to a 7-2 win over seventh-ranked and second-seeded Francis Marion University on Saturday night in an elimination game at the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Baseball Tournament.

USCA (42-18) advances forward to play unbeaten (in tournament play) and sixth-seeded Belmont Abbey College in Sunday's championship game at 11 a.m.  In the championship round of the 2009 NCAA Division II Southeast Region a second championship game would be played if USCA wins that 11 a.m. contest.

Francis Marion, which had its 17-game winning streak snapped earlier in the day by Belmont Abbey, ends its season at 38-15-1, the second-most wins in program history.

Fry (4-3) scattered the three hits in his 8.1 innings on the hill.  He threw 178 pitches, struck out seven and walked seven.  FMU stranded 12 runners, including leaving the bases loaded twice.  Jeremy Smith earned his third save by recording the final two outs.

Francis Marion's Barrett Kleinknecht (1-3) made his first start of the year and pitched a complete game, allowing nine hits and five earned runs in his eight innings.  He tossed 120 pitches and struck out three.

Pacer right fielder Alex Franklin was the lone player in the contest with multiple hits as he went 2-for-5.

A solo homer to left by freshman outfielder Tyler Boyd gave Francis Marion a 1-0 cushion in the top of the third inning.  The Patriots would go on to load the bases with no outs, but Fry struck out Jared Barkdoll and got Jacob Wallace and Keon Graves to pop out to strand the three base runners.

The Pacers responded with two runs in the bottom of the frame.  Franklin plated the first run with an RBI groundout and second baseman Ken Raborn followed with a run-scoring single through the left side.

Frye and Kleinknecht matched zeros through the next two frames before USCA scored two unearned runs in the sixth to lead 4-1.  An infield error helped lead to an RBI double by Jamie Benjamin and a second error allowed the fourth Pacer run to score.

USCA's Nick Aranas added a solo homer and catcher John Sherrer hit a two-run shot in the eighth.

The Patriots plated one run in the ninth on a bases-loaded walk to Kleinknecht.

The game featured several outstanding defensive plays as centerfielders Martin Gordon (FMU) and Cody McMorris (USCA) traded leaping catches at the center field wall and Franklin made a great diving catch along the right field line.

Quotes from Game Nine

Francis Marion Head Coach Art Inabinet - "I think Justin Fry was the difference in the game tonight.  He just flat out stuffed us tonight.  We had our shot at him in third, bases loaded, nobody out.  We were trying to take anything to posibly get him out of the game; walk, hit, sacrifice fly, and we couldn't do it."

"Anytime you lose a game to end the season, it's not good.  But reflecting back on the entire season, I thought we did a great job.  We won first ever Peach Belt Conference (Tournament) Championship in school history.  And obviously we wish tonight had turned out better, but like I told them (Francis Marion players), there are six teams in this tournament and five are going home.  Unfortunately we are one of those five."

About Seniors - "Our seniors this year were the cornerstone of the program.  Jared Barkdoll, Keon Graves, David Walters, and I want to thank them for all help and accomplishments at helping us win our first ever Peach Belt Conference (Tournament) championship and getting us into this point of the season."

"We made 3 mistakes that cost us: a hit batter and two errors and it let them get 4 runs there early."

"Barrett Kleinknecht is a guy that we either want at the plate or the mound with the game on the line.  It just so happened, though he played well up until the last inning.  But I felt he was still our best option at that point but Aiken just put it out of reach."

USC Aiken Head Coach Kenny Thomas - "It's great, we had two great pitching performances today, amazing really.  Clayton Knight came out and pitched the first game like he did after being injured three weeks ago and Justin Fry really hasn't pitch a lot lately.  He (Fry) just pitched on guts there at the end, he was exhausted. He pitched his heart out.  Today was a tough day, and we have another tough day tomorrow.  I'm very proud of those two guys.  Absolutely unbelievable."