FLORENCE, SC – Francis Marion University pushed across three runs in its first at bat of the day and six in its last en route to a Peach Belt Conference baseball doubleheader sweep of 14th-ranked University of Montevallo, Saturday afternoon (April 13) at Cormell Field at Sparrow Stadium. Behind a combined six hits and six runs batted in from senior designated hitter Will Chandler, the Patriots hung on to win the opener 5-4 and rallied late to win the second game 9-2.

Francis Marion improves to 21-15 overall and 13-9 in the PBC, while climbing to sixth place in the conference standings.  Montevallo drops to 26-14 and 13-10.  The two teams will conclude their weekend series with a single game on Sunday at noon.  It will be Youth Day at FMU with all local area youth baseball players that wear their uniform to the game being admitted free.

FMU scored three times in the bottom of the first inning in the opener and never trailed.  Insurance runs in the fifth and seventh innings proved important as the Falcons scored once each in the eighth and ninth innings to trim the deficit to one.  With the tying run on third base, Patriot junior righty Jeffrey Stoner got catcher Jackson Slaid to ground into a fielder's choice to end the game.

Starter Don Sandifer (4-4) pitched an effective 6.1 innings, scattering seven hits and allowing only one earned run.  He also struck out five, while capturing his 23rd career victory.  Stoner pitched the final 2.2 innings to earn his second save of 2013.

Chandler was 2-for-4 with an RBI single, while both senior first baseman Rhodes Dickerson and senior catcher Jacob Golliday were also 2-for-4.  Senior third baseman Stephen Tarkenton drove in a pair of runs with a fielder's choice grounder in the first and a double in the seventh.

Designated hitter Vinny Rodriguez went 3-for-5 with a double, a run scored, and an RBI to lead Montevallo.

Despite picking up the loss, Falcons' righty Michael Shreves (6-4) recovered from the rocky first inning that saw the Patriots bat around to register a complete game. He allowed eight hits and four earned runs, while fanning five.

In the second contest, FMU was handcuffed by Montevallo southpaw Alex Guilford (6-3) through six innings. However, trailing 2-1, Francis Marion scored twice in the seventh and six times in the eighth to register the come-from-behind win.

Sophomore right-hander Chris Harrison (4-0) remained unbeaten as he recorded the Patriots' second complete-game of the year.  He allowed seven hits and the two runs (both earned), while striking out six.  Perhaps energized by the late rally, he retired the last 10 Montevallo batters in order, including striking out the side on 10 pitches in the ninth,

Chandler went 4-for-5 with five RBIs and lacked only a homer from becoming the second Patriot to ever hit for the cycle.  Junior right fielder Isaac Davenport had a pair of hits, scored twice, and drove in one run.  Dickerson added two more hits to extend his hitting streak to 14 games, while also having hit safely in 28 of his last 29 games.

First baseman Brandon Marshall had two hits for Montevallo, while both Rodriguez and Slaid had a hit and an RBI.  Guilford surrendered 11 hits and eight runs (six earned) in 7.1 innings of work.

Trailing 2-1 entering the last of the seventh, FMU mounted a two-out rally.  Davenport singled and then scored all the way from first on Tarkenton's flare single to right field. Chandler followed with a blast off the top of the fence above the 400-foot sign in straight-away centerfield that resulted in an RBI triple.

The Patriots sent 10 batters to the plate in the last of the eighth.  Chandler's 3-run double to center field highlighted the frame.  Senior center fielder Jarrod Reed and freshman catcher Cole Morris both rapped out RBI singles, while Davenport plated a run with a sacrifice fly.

Francis Marion Univ. 5, #14 Univ. of Montevallo 4 (Apr 13, 2013 at Florence, SC) (Game 1)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Univ. of Montevallo. 010 010 011  -  4 10  3      (26-13, 13-9 PBC)
Francis Marion Univ. 300 010 10X  -  5  8  3      (20-15, 12-9 PBC)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pitchers: Univ. of Montevallo - Michael Shreves and Jackson Slaid. Francis Marion Univ. -
Don Sandifer; Jeffrey Stoner(7) and Jacob Golliday.
Win-Don Sandifer(4-4)  Save-Jeffrey Stoner(2)  Loss-Michael Shreves(6-4)  T-2:28  A-517
Weather: Mostly Sunny, 68 degrees

Francis Marion Univ. 9, #14 Univ. of Montevallo 2 (Apr 13, 2013 at Florence, SC) (Game 2)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Univ. of Montevallo. 100 010 000  -  2  7  3      (26-14, 13-10 PBC)
Francis Marion Univ. 000 010 26X  -  9 12  2      (21-15, 13-9 PBC)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pitchers: Univ. of Montevallo - Alex Guilford; Cody Hughes(8) and Jackson Slaid.
Francis Marion Univ. - Chris Harrison and Cole Morris.
Win-Chris Harrison(4-0)  Loss-Alex Guilford(6-3)  T-2:33
Weather: Sunny, 76 degrees