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FLORENCE, SC-  It was a tale of two different games as 22nd-ranked Francis Marion University split a baseball doubleheader with Peach Belt Conference foe Georgia College, winning the first game 17-5 and dropping the nightcap 4-0, Saturday afternoon (March 17) at Cormell Field.

The two teams will meet for the rubber game on Sunday (March 18) at 1 p.m.

The Patriot (18-10, 8-6) bats proved very effective in the opener, scoring 17 runs on 18 hits. The output was more than enough for sophomore right-hander Jeffrey Stoner (4-1) who worked six innings and scattered eight hits, while striking out nine Bobcats.  Junior Don Sandifer and senior Jeremy Knab handled the final three innings for the Patriots. 

The FMU bats chased Georgia College starter Derek McGowan (2-4) after two innings, tagging him up with the loss.  The Bobcats ended the day at 15-10 overall and 7-4 in the PBC.

FMU scored in its first six innings at the plate, and finished the game putting a tally on the board in seven of eight frames.  A three spot in the first inning got the offense rolling for Francis Marion.  It started when junior Will Chandler reached on an infield throwing error with two outs bringing around junior Jarrod Reed to score after he had reached on a single earlier in the inning.  Reed finished the afternoon 4-for-4 with three runs batted in, the most hits in the game for any Patriot. Senior outfielder Tyler Boyd was 2-for-3 and also drove in three runs. 

Francis Marion held an 11-0 lead in the top of the sixth inning before the Bobcats broke through with a pair of runs.  FMU responded however with three runs of its own in the latter half of the inning, started by junior Luke Tollison's two-run double to left field.  Reed picked up one of his three RBIs on a single up the middle to push the Patriot lead to 14-2.  The first eight FMU runs all came across with two outs.

Georgia College scratched three more runs before FMU once again answered with three runs of its own to close out the scoring and bring the final tally to 17-5.  Five other Patriots registered multi-hit games along with Reed and Boyd.   Senior outfielder Buddy Sosnoskie, sophomore infielder Michael Wilson, junior designated hitter Jacob Golliday, senior catcher Brian Paulhus, and Tollison all finished with two hits.

Hits were tougher to come by for the Patriots in the day's second game as FMU pounded out only six hits while being shutout.  Junior starter Spencer Jordan (4-2) took the loss for FMU as he pitched the first six innings and allowed seven hits and three runs, all of them earned.  Senior righty Jarrott Hooks worked the final three innings, surrendering a lone run on two hits.

Bobcat southpaw Mike Guinane stymied the Patriot hitters over eight innings, allowing just five hits and striking out five en route to his first win of the season in four decisions.

Wilson and Boyd did managed their second two-hit games of the day, but only two other Patriots (John Jones and Tyler Hibbs) recorded safeties.

Georgia College opened the scoring in the top of the first when Cody Maas singled back through the box to plate shortstop Tanner Funk, who had led off the game with a single in similar fashion.  The Bobcats pushed two more runs across in the top of the fifth courtesy of RBI singles from Patrick Daugherty and Travis Echols to take a 3-0 advantage.

The Patriots threatened to answer a handful of times in the following innings, first in the bottom portion of the fifth inning when a fly out from Jones stranded the bases loaded.  FMU also stranded two runners in the bottom of the sixth and seventh innings.  Altogether, the Patriots stranded 11 runners on base.

The Patriots did managed two base runners in the bottom of the ninth, but closer Matt LaMothe struck out the next three FMU hitters to thwart any possible comeback.

Senior left-hander Matthew Broderick (2-1, 1.57 ERA) is the probable starter for FMU in Sunday's contest.

DH Game 1

#22 Francis Marion Univ. 17, Georgia College 5 (Mar 17, 2012 at Florence, SC) (Game 1)
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Georgia College..... 000 002 120  -  5 13  2      (14-10, 6-4 PBC)
Francis Marion Univ. 312 233 03X  - 17 18  3      (18-9, 8-5 PBC)
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Pitchers: Georgia College - Derek McGowan; John Clark (3); Shawn Haley (5); Chris George (7) and
Cody Maas; Joe Scott. Francis Marion Univ. - Jeffrey Stoner; Don Sandifer (7); Jeremy Knab (9)
and Will Chandler.
Win-Jeffrey Stoner (4-1)  Loss-Derek McGowan (2-4)  T-2:40  A-117
Weather: Mostly Sunny, 78 degrees

Game 2 of DH

Georgia College 4, #22 Francis Marion Univ. 0 (Mar 17, 2012 at Florence, SC) (Game 2)
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Georgia College.....   100 020 001  -  4  9  1      (15-10, 7-4 PBC)
Francis Marion Univ. 000 000 000  -  0  6  0      (18-10, 8-6 PBC)
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Pitchers: Georgia College - Mike Guinane; Matt LaMothe (9) and Yaun. Francis Marion Univ. -
Spencer Jordan; Jarrott Hooks (7) and Paulhus.
Win-Mike Guinane(1-3)  Loss-Spencer Jordan(4-2)  T-2:25  A-0
Weather: Partly Cloudy 82 degrees