Box Score GREENWOOD, SC – A day after pounding out 16 hits and scoring double-digit runs in Wednesday's first-round win, the Francis Marion University offense was blanked 5-0 on Thursday afternoon (May 9) by Georgia College junior right-hander Justin Blue in a winners' bracket contest at the 2013 Peach Belt Conference Baseball Tournament.
The sixth-seeded Patriots fall to 28-19 and drop into the elimination bracket and will face second-seeded Columbus State University on Friday at 10 a.m. If FMU wins that game, the Patriots will play again on Friday at 5 p.m.
Seventh-seeded Georgia College (31-17) advances in the winners' bracket to play on Friday at 8:30 p.m.
Columbus State eliminated third-seeded and 10-ranked Armstrong Atlantic State University 7-1 in Thursday's opening contest.
Blue (8-3) limited Francis Marion to six singles, while striking out four and walking only one. At one point early in the contest, he retired 14 consecutive Patriots. It was the first time FMU has been shutout this season.
FMU senior third baseman Stephen Tarkenton was 2-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to eight games.
Patriot senior right-hander Gary Ashcraft (6-5) suffered the loss as he allowed all five runs. He limited the potent Bobcat offense to seven hits in seven innings, but two of the hits were home runs and he walked seven.
Tarkenton and junior right fielder Isaac Davenport both singled in the top of the first, but were stranded when Blue started his run of retiring Patriot hitters.
Georgia College scored once in the bottom of the first as All-Conference shortstop Daniel Bick drew the first of his three walks, stole second base, and scored on an RBI-single to left by first baseman Clay Ardeeser.
The margin grew to 3-0 in the last of the fifth frame as the Bobcats plated two runs. Right fielder Mikee Moore walked, went to second on a wild pitch, and scored on a single through the right side by center fielder Ikaika Anderson. After Anderson was thrown out trying to steal second base, left fielder Jake Sandlin hit a solo homer over the right field wall.
In each of the sixth and seventh innings, Francis Marion managed to get a pair of runners on base with two outs, but Blue snuffed out both rallies.
Georgia College added a pair of insurance runs on a long two-run homer by Ardeeser in the bottom of the eighth, a blast that bounced off the scoreboard in right center field.
In addition to Tarkenton and Davenport, the other Patriots with hits were senior center fielder Jarrod Reed, junior shortstop Michael Wilson, and sophomore second baseman Brett Fulmer.
Looking toward Friday, Francis Marion was 2-0 against Columbus State during the 2013 regular season.
Georgia College 5, Francis Marion 0 (May 09, 2013 at Greenwood, S.C.)
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Francis Marion...... 000 000 000 - 0 6 2 (28-19)
Georgia College..... 100 020 02X - 5 7 1 (31-17)
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Pitchers: Francis Marion - Gary Ashcraft; Chance DuCharme(8) and Jacob Golliday.
Georgia College - Blue and Hazel.
Win-Blue(8-3) Loss-Gary Ashcraft(6-5) T-2:01 A-315
HR GC - Sandlin (8); Ardeeser (8).
Weather: Partly Cloudy, 82 degrees
Ashcraft faced 4 batters in the 8th.
