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FLORENCE, SC – Senior center fielder Buddy Sosnoskie doubled twice and drove in four runs in the first inning alone as 23rd-ranked Francis Marion University exploded for 10 runs and the Patriots cruised to a 12-3 game-two win over UNC Pembroke and a sweep of their Sunday (April 1) afternoon Peach Belt Conference doubleheader.  Sosnoskie drove in two more runs and Jarrod Reed, Stephen Tarkenton, and Brian Paulhus combined to prevent the Braves from scoring the tying run in the eighth inning as FMU prevailed 5-4 in the opener.

Francis Marion improves to 24-11 overall and 12-7 in the PBC and has now won 12 of its last 14 games.  The Patriots also open an eight-game homestand with a pair of wins.  UNCP drops to 23-12 and 10-9 after the Braves entered the weekend on a five-game winning streak.

The two squads will complete their three-game series on Monday with a 3 p.m. single game on Cormell Field.

Francis Marion sent 14 batters to the plate in the bottom of the first frame in game two.  The Patriots rapped out 11 hits – as many as they did in the entire first game – and scored 10 runs.  It was the first time an Art Inabinet-coached squad tallied double figure runs in the opening frame.  In addition to Sosnoskie's two hits, both Reed and senior left fielder Tyler Boyd had two hits apiece in the inning, while senior designated hitter Austin Smetana pounded a two-run double.

Both teams scored single runs in the second inning, and UNCP climbed to with 11-3 with a pair of tallies in the sixth inning.  Senior left-hander Matt Broderick (4-1) earned the win with a seven-inning effort.  He allowed eight hits and three runs, while fanning three and walking only one.  Junior righty Don Sandifer finished up with two scoreless frames.

Braves freshman southpaw Jordan DeLoatch (4-1) recorded only one out in the first before being lifted and was tagged with his first collegiate loss.

Boyd extended his hitting streak to six games with his third career four-hit game.  He finished 4-for-5 with two runs scored and one driven in.  Junior second baseman Tyler Hibbs also registered a four-hit game (in 5 at bats) to go along with an RBI and two runs scored.  Sosnoskie was 3-for-5 with four RBIs and one scored while extending his hitting streak to seven games.  Smetana was 2-for-4 with a run scored and three RBIs and Reed was 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored as the Patriots totaled 20 hits.

A trio of Braves had two hits apiece in the second game – Brad Bridgeman, Chad Whitehead, and Andrew Alford – while shortstop Zade Denton hit a solo homer in the second inning and drove in two runs.

The Patriots outlasted the Braves 5-4 in the opener thanks in large part to a pair of RBIs from Sosnoskie and Paulhus, as well as a three-hit performance from Reed and his arm.

Francis Marion took the lead in the bottom of the second inning when Paulhus singled to left field and plating Hibbs and Smetana.  Sosnoskie tacked on another run on a sacrifice fly foul out, scoring Paulhus, and putting FMU up 3-0.

UNCP catcher Max Gagnon inched the Braves closer with a solo home run to left field in the top of the third inning, but Francis Marion answered in the latter half of the frame with a run of its own.  Senior shortstop Brock McCallister walked to lead off the inning, moved to second on a single by Hibbs, went to third on a wild pitch, and scored on sophomore Michael Wilson's groundout to make the score 4-1.

Francis Marion held a 5-1 lead in the top of the seventh before the Braves rallied for three runs to chisel the Patriot advantage to 5-4.  Bridgeman and Jordan Edgerton delivered run-scoring doubles, while Josh Haley poked an RBI-single through the right side. 

The Braves nearly evened up the score in the top of the eighth on a sharp single to right by Bridgeman, but Reed gathered the ball on one hop, threw it to the cutoff man, Tarkenton, who relayed it home to Paulhus for the sweeping tag on pinch runner Andrew Alford for the inning's third out.

Sophomore right-hander Jeffrey Stoner (5-2) earned the victory, going 6.1 innings and striking out six, while giving up seven hits and three runs.  Hibbs picked up his second save of the season by keeping the Braves off the scoreboard for the final two and one-third innings. 

Righty Brad Isom (5-2) was tagged with the loss.

Seven of the nine FMU starters registered a hit in the first contest.  Reed led the way going 3-for-4 as Hibbs and Wilson had two hits apiece.

#23 Francis Marion Univ. 5, UNC Pembroke 4 (Apr 01, 2012 at Florence, SC) (Game 1)
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UNC Pembroke........ 001 000 300  -  4 11  3      (23-11, 10-8 PBC)
Francis Marion Univ. 031 001 00X  -  5 11  2      (23-11, 11-7 PBC)
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Pitchers: UNC Pembroke - Brad Isom; Patrick McMahon (7); Brantley Hattrich (7) and Max Gagnon.
Francis Marion Univ. - Jeffrey Stoner; Jarrott Hooks (7); Tyler Hibbs (7) and Brian Paulhus.
Win-Jeffrey Stoner (5-2)  Save-Tyler Hibbs (2)  Loss-Brad Isom (5-2)  T-2:33  A-134
HR UNCP - Max Gagnon (2).
Weather: Mostly sunny, 68 degrees

#23 Francis Marion Univ. 12, UNC Pembroke 3 (Apr 01, 2012 at Florence, SC) (Game 2)
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UNC Pembroke........ 010 002 000  -  3 10  1      (23-12, 10-9 PBC)
Francis Marion Univ. (10)10 000 01X  - 12 20  1      (24-11, 12-7 PBC)
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Pitchers: UNC Pembroke - Jordan DeLoatch; Bryan Collins (1); Brandon Estrain (6); Cody Dix (8) and
Chad Whitehead. Francis Marion Univ. - Matt Broderick; Don Sandifer (8) and Jacob Golliday.
Win-Matt Broderick (4-1)  Loss-Jordan DeLoatch (4-1)  T-2:15
HR UNCP - Zade Denton (1).
Weather: Clear, Sunny, 74 degrees