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COLUMBUS, GA – Sophomore right-hander reliever Jeffrey Stoner pitched 4.2 scoreless innings, junior catcher Jacob Golliday was 3-for-5 with three runs batted in, and seventh-ranked Francis Marion University Patriots used a five-run sixth inning to rally past fifth-ranked Columbus State University for a 12-5 win, Monday afternoon (Feb. 20) at Ragsdale Field in Columbus, Ga.
Francis Marion improves to 7-4 overall and 2-1 in the Peach Belt Conference by taking two of three from the Cougars (8-2, 1-2). FMU returns home for a mid-week game with 20th-ranked Mount Olive College, Wednesday (Feb. 22) at 2 p.m. on Cormell Field.
After taking a 1-0 lead in the second frame, FMU fell behind 3-1 in the last of the third. The Patriots battled back and took a 4-3 advantage on a two-run homer by junior designated hitter Will Chandler in the top of fifth. Once again, the Patriots could not hold the lead as Columbus State answered with two runs in the bottom of the fifth to grab a 5-4 lead.
The Patriots then scored five runs on five hits in the sixth while batting around in the order. Junior first baseman Luke Tollison started the scoring with a one-out double that plated senior center fielder Buddy Sosnoskie, who had led off the inning with a single. Tollison then came around to score when senior Brock McCallister reached on an RBI fielder's choice, giving FMU the lead for good at 6-5.
FMU tacked on three more runs in the inning, thanks to a two-out RBI single through the right side from junior infielder Stephen Tarkenton and Golliday's two-run single to center.
The Patriots added three insurance runs in the eighth frame. Golliday legged out an RBI infield-single and senior outfielder Tyler Boyd delivered a two-RBI single through the left side.
Junior right-hander Gary Ashcraft started for FMU and worked 3.0 innings, allowing three runs before giving way to freshman southpaw Tyler Smith for 1.1 innings. Smith gave up two runs of his own on a pair of hits before Stoner (1-0) closed the book on the Cougars. He allowed just one hit and no runs over the last 4.2 innings.
Francis Marion totaled 15 hits on the afternoon with six Patriots finishing with multiple hits: McCallister 2-for-6, Tarkenton 2-for-5, Chandler 2-for-4, Sosnoskie 2-for-4, and Tollison 2-for-2. Tollison drove in three runs.
CSU starter Will Casey (2-1) was tagged with the loss. Designated hitter Cameron Scott paced the Cougars at the plate with a 3-for-5 day that included two runs scored and two driven in.
#7 Francis Marion 12, #5 Columbus State U. 5 (Feb 20, 2012 at Columbus, GA)
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Francis Marion...... 010 125 030 - 12 15 1 (7-4, 2-1 PBC)
Columbus State U.... 003 020 000 - 5 9 3 (8-2, 1-2 PBC)
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Pitchers: Francis Marion - Gary Ashcraft; Tyler Smith(4); Jeffrey Stoner(5) and Jacob Golliday.
Columbus State U. - Casey; Dades(6); Futo(6) and Teschner.
Win-Jeffrey Stoner(1-0) Loss-Casey(2-1) T-2:43 A-173
HR FMU - Will Chandler (2).
Weather: 55 degrees, sunny
Dades faced 3 batters in the 6th.
Jacob Golliday Jeffrey Stoner
