FLORENCE, SC  – Junior left fielder Dalton Gress registered his first career three-hit game and drove in two runs as Francis Marion University won 11-3 to split Saturday afternoon's (March 30) Peach Belt Conference doubleheader with Armstrong Atlantic State University, and salvage the final game of the weekend series.

A pair of ninth-inning errors helped Armstrong to a 2-1 win in Saturday's first game, during which Gress was 2-for-4.

Francis Marion moves to 15-13 overall and 10-7 in the PBC, while Armstrong is 18-9 and 10-7. The two squads are in a three-way tie for sixth place in the Peach Belt standings.  Francis Marion will play host to St. Augustine's University for a non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday at 4 p.m.

In Saturday's opener, FMU senior right-hander Don Sandifer pitched six strong innings, allowing one run on three hits with six strikeouts.  In the fourth inning, he recorded his 250th career strikeout.

Armstrong struck with a single run in the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Casey Maloney.  Junior righty Jeffrey Stoner relieved Sandifer with no outs and the bases loaded and minimized the damage as only the one runner crossed the plate.

FMU would get that run back in the bottom half of the inning when David DeWolfe doubled down the left field line to score Gress.  Gress' five hits on the afternoon raised his season average 60 points to .333.

The deciding run was scored in the top of the ninth.  With no outs and a runner on first, Stoner fielded a bunt, but his throw to second base for the force was high.  Both runners then moved up a base on a successful sacrifice bunt.  The winning run came home when Maloney's grounder to second base was booted by Brett Fulmer.

Stoner (4-2) allowed only one hit in three innings with two strikeouts.

Pirate starter Ethan Bader (4-0) had a strong outing as he went the distance, giving up five hits and fanning five.

As game two started, the FMU offense warmed up to the tune of 21 base hits.  Fulmer recorded his first career four-hit game, going 4-for-5 with a run scored and one driven in.

In addition to Gress' 3-for-5 performance, two other Patriots rapped out three hits: senior first baseman Rhodes Dickerson (3-for-5) and DeWolfe (3-for-5).  Dickerson, who also drove in a pair of runs, has now hit safely in 20 of his last 21 contests to raise his season average to .344.

Senior catcher Will Chandler also drove in two runs with a 2-for-5 effort.

The Pirates would score in the opening frame on a Chase Butler RBI double. In the bottom of the first, Gress singled up the middle to score Jarrod Reed and tie the game at 1-1.

The Patriots plated four runs in the bottom of the second to take their first lead of the series.  Reed walked with the bases loaded to force in a run, while senior third baseman Stephen Tarkenton and junior shortstop Michael Wilson both hit sacrifice flies and Chandler added an RBI single.

Armstrong would answer back with two runs in the top of the third, but the Patriots responded with a pair of three-run innings (in the fourth and fifth) to hold onto the lead and secure the victory.

Freshman right-hander John Rossi (3-1) relieved FMU starter Chris Harrison in the fourth and pitched 4.2 scoreless innings to earn the win.  He surrendered only two hits and struck out two.

Armstrong starter Caleb Woods (4-2) was tagged with the loss after allowing five runs in two innings. Butler finished the game 3-for-4 with a run scored and two RBIs.

Armstrong Atlantic 2, Francis Marion Univ. 1 (Mar 30, 2013 at Florence, SC) (Game 1)
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Armstrong Atlantic.. 000 000 101  -  2  4  0      (18-8, 10-6 PBC)
Francis Marion Univ. 000 000 100  -  1  5  2      (14-13, 9-7 PBC)
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Pitchers: Armstrong Atlantic - Ethan Bader and Clayton Miller. Francis Marion Univ. -
Don Sandifer; Jeffrey Stoner(7) and Will Chandler.
Win-Ethan Bader(4-0)  Loss-Jeffrey Stoner(4-2)  T-2:12  A-413
Weather: Broken sky, 62 degrees, NICE
Sandifer faced 3 batters in the 7th.

Francis Marion Univ. 11, Armstrong Atlantic 3 (Mar 30, 2013 at Florence, SC) (Game 2)
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Armstrong Atlantic.. 102 000 000  -  3  7  2      (18-9, 10-7 PBC)
Francis Marion Univ. 140 330 00X  - 11 21  1      (15-13, 10-7 PBC)
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Pitchers: Armstrong Atlantic - Caleb Woods; Mitchell Dolan(3); Ross Beach(5); Chris Lusted(5);
Tyler Green(8) and Clayton Miller; Berry Aldridge. Francis Marion Univ. - Chris Harrison;
John Rossi(4); Justin Turbeville(9) and Will Chandler.
Win-John Rossi(3-1)  Loss-Caleb Woods(4-2)  T-2:32  A-0
Weather: Mostly Overcast, 67 degrees