COLUMBUS, GA – Sophomore right-hander Ethan Bader tossed a four-hitter and struck out 10 Francis Marion University batters as 11th-ranked and top-seeded Armstrong Atlantic State University beat the sixth-ranked and second-seeded Patriots 5-1, Saturday afternoon (May 12) in the semifinals of the 2012 Peach Belt Conference Baseball Tournament.

Armstrong (39-14) will be making its third appearance in the PBC Tournament championship game on Sunday afternoon despite being held to just three hits by four FMU pitchers.

Francis Marion (37-16) will now await the announcement of the NCAA Division II National Tournament field which will be released on Sunday evening at 10 p.m.  The Patriots are very likely to get a fourth consecutive bid.

Bader (11-4) recorded his second complete game of 2012, allowing just four hits and walking only one.  He threw just 98 pitches.

FMU senior southpaw Jeremy Knab (0-1) suffered the loss despite a strong performance.  In only his second start of the year and in his longest outing as a Patriot, he allowed two runs (only one earned) on two hits, while striking out two and walking five.  Knab, freshman righty Justin Turbeville, junior righty Will Chandler, and freshman lefty Tyler Smith combined for the three-hitter.

FMU senior left fielder Tyler Boyd gave Francis Marion an early 1-0 lead in the third inning with a 350-foot solo home run over the left field wall.  It was the Lamar native's first homer of the year and the seventh of his career in 189 games.

The Pirates took a 2-1 advantage in the bottom of the same frame when Knab walked the bases loaded with one out. Third baseman Drew Walker's sacrifice fly plated Tanner Jones for the first run, and Will Thomas scored the second tally on an infield fielding error.

Armstrong's Cody Powell prevented the Patriots from tying the game in the sixth inning when he caught Brock McCallister's fly ball in right field and gunned down catcher Brian Paulhus at the plate on a sacrifice fly attempt for the third out.

Patriot first baseman Rhodes Dickerson was robbed of extra bases in the top of the eight when his line drive to left was snared by a diving Jones near the warning track.

Powell then put the game out of reach in the eighth inning when he stroked a long three-run homer over the left field wall for the Pirates' final runs.

FMU's Paulhus was the only player with multiple hits as he finished 2-for-3. 

Senior center fielder Buddy Sosnoskie was 1-for-2 with a walk to push his tournament total to 11-for-21 in the five games.  Paulhus played in four games and batted 6-fot-13 in the tournament, while shortstop Michael Wilson finished 9-for-22.