FLORENCE, SC – Sophomore right-hander Don Sandifer tossed a five-hit shutout in game one, while four Patriot hurlers combined for a five-hit shutout in game two as 12th-ranked Francis Marion University swept a Peach Belt Conference baseball doubleheader from seventh-ranked UNC Pembroke on Sunday afternoon (April 17).  FMU won the opener 2-0 after scoring two unearned runs in the bottom of the first and captured the second contest by a 10-0 count.

Francis Marion won for the 16th time in its last 18 games to improve to 32-10 overall and a conference-best 15-5.  UNCP (33-9, 13-9) entered the twinbill ranked second in the PBC in batting average and runs scored.  The two squads will conclude their three-game series on Monday afternoon at 3 p.m. on Cormell Field.

Sandifer (9-2) allowed only eight base runners and struck out eight.  UNCP righty Josh Bagley (4-3) was nearly as good, allowing only six hits and striking out seven.  The game lasted only 1:56.  However, two errors by the Braves helped account for the game's only scores.

In the bottom of the first with one out, FMU junior second baseman Brock McCallister reached on an infield single to third base.  Bagley then tried to pick McCallister off first base, but threw wildly allowing McCallister to race around to third.  After a walk and a strikeout, Patriot center fielder Buddy Sosnoskie singled through the right side to score McCallister and put runners on first and third.  Martin Gordon then hit a grounder to shortstop, but the throw to second for the force-out (and third out of the inning) was wide and that allowed John Jones to score the second Patriot tally.

UNCP placed runners on first and second with one out in the ninth inning, but Sandifer got Joe Mangum to ground into a game-ending around-the-horn double play.

Sosnoskie was 2-for-3 to lead FMU, while right fielder Brad Bridgeman (2-for-3) was the lone UNCP player with multiple hits.

Sosnoskie was 2-for-3 with a triple, a run scored, and two RBIs in the second contest.  That performance extended his hitting streak to 14 games.  Francis Marion pounded out 13 hits in game two and took advantage of six walks and two Brave errors.

McCallister was 2-for-3 in the second contest with three runs scored and one driven in, while Jones was 2-for-4 with an RBI.

The Patriots plated five runs in the bottom of the first, all coming across the dish with two outs.  First baseman Preston Shuey added to his school career record for RBIs (202) with an RBI single.  Following a pair of walks, Tyler Boyd plated a second run with an infield single.  Tyler Cappelmann followed with a two-out fly ball to left field that was misplayed allowing all three base runners to score.

FMU added two runs in the second and three in the fifth frame.

Senior righty Corey Carver (1-1), the third of four FMU pitchers, was credited with the win as he threw three scoreless innings.

UNCP starter Brad Isom (7-3) allowed seven runs (four earned) and was tagged with the loss.  Infielder Jason Coker was 2-for-4 with a double to lead the Braves at the plate.

     Buddy Sosnoskie