FLORENCE, SC – Three Francis Marion University pitchers combined for 20 strikeouts and 18 scoreless innings, while junior right fielder Isaac Davenport totaled seven hits and three runs batted in as the Patriots swept a Peach Belt Conference baseball doubleheader from Augusta State University, winning both contests by 8-0 decisions, Saturday evening (April 20) on Cormell Field at Sparrow Stadium.

Francis Marion has won six of its last seven games to improve to 24-16 overall and move into a tie for fourth place in the PBC standings with a 16-9 mark.  ASU (10-32, 3-20) has lost its last 15 games in a row.

The two squads will conclude their three-game series on Sunday with a 1 p.m. start on Cormell Field.

Senior right-hander Don Sandifer (5-4) and freshman southpaw Daniel Barfield combined on a five-hitter in the game-one 8-0 win.  Sophomore righty Chris Harrison (5-0) recorded his second consecutive complete-game as he scattered seven hits in the game-two 8-0 victory.

FMU senior first baseman Rhodes Dickerson went 2-for-4 in both games to extend his career-best hitting streak to 18 games. He has also hit safely in 32 of his last 33 contests.

In the opener, Sandifer fanned a season-high 12 batters in seven innings, only two shy of his career-high strikeout total.  The Bamberg native upped his career record to 24-12, while runni g his career strikeout total to 270. Barfield pitched a perfect two frames to close out the game.

Davenport went 4-for-5 with two runs scored and two driven in.  Junior shortstop Michael Wilson lined a two-out, two-run double past the ASU first baseman in the bottom of the first inning to plate the only runs FMU would need.

Junior second baseman Brett Fulmer also drove home a pair of runs with a fourth-inning single and a sixth-inning sacrifice fly as the Patriots scored six of their tallies over the three middle frames.

ASU starter Clint Echols (0-6) took the loss as he allowed the first two Patriot runs.  The Jaguars employed four different pitchers for each of the first four innings.  Kip Custer continued on to finish the game after entering in the fourth. Augusta State committed five errors leading to five unearned runs.

No Jaguar player had multiple hits in game one.

In the nightcap, Harrison struck out six batters and walked none.

Davenport followed his first-game performance with a 3-for-5 effort that saw him score twice and drive in one.  His hitting streak now stands at 10 games in a row.  Senior third baseman Stephen Tarkenton and freshman catcher Cole Morris were both 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs.  Morris now has 11 runs batted in during the 10 games since being activated as the emergency catcher.

FMU scored once in the second on an RBI single up the middle by Morris. The scored remained 1-0 until the fifth when RBI hits by Davenport and Tarkenton increased the margin to 3-0.

Righty David Bermudez (2-4), the second of four ASU hurlers, was tagged with the loss. Right fielder Lance Mangrum had three of the Jaguars' seven hits in game two, while third baseman Ross Miles was 2-for-3.