COLUMBUS, GA – Fourth-seeded Augusta State University scored four runs in each of the first two innings and then held off a late Francis Marion University rally to claim an 11-9 win over the ninth-ranked and top-seeded Patriots, Sunday afternoon (May 8) in the opening round of the Peach belt Conference Tournament in Columbus, Ga., at Golden Park.

The Jaguars (22-28) advance in the winner's bracket to Monday's second-round game against UNC Pembroke at 12:30 p.m., while Francis Marion (36-13) falls to the loser's bracket and will take on Georgia College on Monday morning at 9 a.m.

Augusta State jumped all over PBC Pitcher of the Year Don Sandifer (10-3) in the first inning, stringing together four straight singles. Kevin Dodson guided a single to right field, plating two runs to give ASU a 4-0 first-inning lead.

FMU senior first baseman Preston Shuey plated a run for Francis Marion with a groundout in the bottom of the first inning, but the Jaguars added four more runs in the top of the second with Jeff Rice belting a grand slam homer to left field.

The long ball was the first home run for Augusta State since February 22, giving the Jaguars an 8-1 advantage.

After the Jaguars added to their lead with a single run in the third inning and two more in the fourth frame, Francis Marion finally came alive with a run in the sixth frame and six more in the seventh inning to cut the ASU lead to just three at 11-8.

The six-run inning for the Patriots featured seven hits, including four straight singles to start the frame. Junior center fielder Buddy Sosnoskie and junior right fielder Tyler Boyd capped the rally with RBI base knocks, while Rob Crosby came in out of the bullpen for Augusta State and induced a double play to end the inning.  Sosnoskie, the PBC Co-Player of the Year, extended his hitting streak to 21 games.

Francis Marion continued to chip away at the lead in the eighth inning with some two-out magic, using a Chris Honeycutt double down the right field line to send Michael Wilson diving in at home under the tag to make it a two-run Jaguar advantage. Sosnoskie tripled to lead off the ninth inning, but the next three Patriots were retired in order to end the rally.

Sosnsokie was 3-for-5, while Honeycutt was 3-for-3 with two runs scored and two driven in.  Boyd and senior shortstop Tyler Cappelmann were both 2-for-5.

Sandifer lasted just 1.1 innings and allowed eight runs on as many hits, while walking one and striking out a pair.

Tristan Toorie had a career day at the plate for the Jaguars, going 4-for-5 with two runs scored, while Dodson added two hits in five trips to the plate, including two runs batted in.

Scott Shipman (8-2) picked up the victory in six innings of work, giving up nine hits and five earned runs, while striking out five. Wilson Taylor tallied his fifth save of the year in two innings of work, giving up a run on two hits and recording one strikeout.

Augusta State managed just 15 combined hits in three regular season losses to Francis Marion, but came out firing early and ended the game with 15 hits in the two-run victory.