DAHLONEGA, GA – Senior outfielder Martin Gordon smack a three-run homer with two outs in the top of the eighth inning as 15th-ranked Francis Marion University rallied for a 4-3 win over North Georgia College & State University, Sunday afternoon (April 10) in Peach Belt Conference baseball action.

FMU takes two-out-of-three in the series and retains first place in the PBC with a 13-5 mark.  The Patriots are 29-10 overall. The Saints drop to 22-15 and 8-13.

FMU freshman starter Jeffrey Stoner, who was looking to go 6-0, pitched four scoreless innings to start, but the Patriots were also blanked by the North Georgia starter.  The Saints broke the scoreless deadlock in the fifth inning when Derek Hooper drilled a two-out RBI double to left field.

The Patriots erased the lead in the top half of the sixth when senior first baseman Preston Shuey launched his second long ball in as many days and seventh of the season, a solo shot to right center field.

The Saints jumped back in front in the bottom of the sixth inning when Kenny Bellavance hit a two-run homer that produced a 3-1 advantage.  He finished the afternoon 2-for-4 with two runs scored.

That margin held up until the eighth inning when Gordon stepped to the plate with two on and two out and drilled a three-run home run to left field, erasing the deficit and giving FMU a 4-3 advantage.  It was the South African native's first homer in 72 games as a Patriot.  His blast scored Shuey, who had doubled, and Dalton Gress, who had reached on a fielder's choice.

FMU senior righty Patrick Mincey (2-2) held the Saints scoreless over the final three innings, and hitless over the last two frames, to earn the victory.  He struck out three.

Gordon, Shuey, and junior center fielder Buddy Sosnoskie all registered two hits for the Patriots.  Sosnoskie extended his hitting streak to 11 games.

Jacob Rickett (4-2) suffered the loss in relief, throwing 1.1 innings and allowing the game-deciding homer.