WILSON, NC— Senior first baseman Preston Shuey's ninth-inning heroics paved the way for junior second baseman Brock McCallister to steak home in the 12th inning and lead Francis Marion University to an 8-7 road victory over Barton College, Wednesday afternoon (Feb. 16) in non-conference baseball action.

The Patriots (4-3) won for the second straight day to climb back over .500, while the Bulldogs (2-6) suffered a loss in extra innings for the first time in three such outings this season.  FMU will travel to Columbia on Friday for a 2 p.m. matchup with Benedict College.

McCallister led off the top of the 12th with a single, moved to second on a Tyler Cappelmann walk, and tagged up and moved to third on a deep fly ball out to center.  With two outs and night fall looming on a lightless Nixon Field, Cappelmann took off for second base before Barton sophomore pitcher Christian Oliver (1-1) started his pitching motion on a 1-2 count. Oliver threw to second base for the potential third out which immediately gave McCallister the green light to take off for home. The Bulldogs started a rundown, but realized they would not be able to apply the tag on Cappelmann before McCallister scored so they attempted a late throw to the catcher, but to no avail.

FMU senior righty Tyler Lehman (1-0) earned the win by pitching the final four innings. He tossed a perfect 1-2-3 bottom half of the 12th, including his third and fourth strikeouts to close the game.

McCallister led FMU with three singles and three runs scored. Cappelmann and junior designated hitter John Jones both added two singles apiece.

Barton took a 6-4 advantage into the ninth, but FMU's 6-foot-4 Shuey came up with a clutch two-run homer to tie the score. Shuey's equalizer just barely cleared the 360-foot signage on the fence in left-center as the ball hit off the top of the yellow line and bounced over.

The close game featured five lead changes. After exchanging single runs in the first, Francis Marion took a one-run lead at 2-1 in the second on an RBI-single by freshman Michael Wilson. Barton leapfrogged in front 3-2 on Ryan Daughtry's two-run double in the third, before the Patriots regained a 4-3 edge with a pair of runs in the sixth. BC took its last lead of 6-4 with three runs in the seventh that was highlighted by run-producing singles from sophomore Phillip Williams and freshman Zac Crumpler and a bases loaded walk from freshman Collins Cuthrell.

After Shuey deadlocked the score in the ninth, Francis Marion nearly won the game in the 10th on a go-ahead RBI single by junior Austin Smetana. Daughtry leveled the scoreboard for the fourth and final time with his seeing-eyed single through the right side of the infield in the bottom of the frame as Barton was down to its last out.

Both teams had six pitchers toe the rubber. Matt Broderick made his first FMU start and lasted three innings. Barton's Jimmie Davis made his first collegiate mound appearance, going five strong innings in the start.

Barton freshman David Gibbons and junior Chris Rawlings each poked three singles, while Gibbons scored three times and Rawlings rounded the bases twice. Daughtry drove in four runs with a 3-for-4 performance.

     Brock McCallister