Savannah, Ga. (March 29, 2014) – Francis Marion University struck for eight runs in the top of the seventh inning and went on to defeat Armstrong Atlantic State University 9-2 in the second game of a Peach Belt Conference baseball series in Savannah, Ga. 

The Patriots (16-15, 5-12 PBC) will look to sweep the three-game series with the Pirates (15-13, 7-10) Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m.

Senior righty Jeffrey Stoner (1-0) earned the victory on the mound after tallying four strikeouts in four and two-thirds innings of work out of the bullpen. Armstrong's Ryan Good (2-3) took the loss after giving up five earned runs in six and one-third innings on the hill.

Trailing 2-0 after six innings, senior third baseman Luke Tollison and senior shortstop Michael Wilson kicked off the seventh inning for the Patriots with back-to-back singles. After junior catcher Nicholas McGee was hit by a pitch to load the bases, senior first baseman David DeWolfe put FMU on the scoreboard with a bases-loaded RBI walk.

In the next at-bat, senior outfielder Casey Gebhardt tied the game at 2-2 with a RBI single through the left side that scored Tollison. Pinch hitter Brett Fulmer put the Patriots ahead for the first time in the contest with a two-RBI single that scored McGee and DeWolfe. Senior Isaac Davenport kept the hit parade going with an RBI single in the next at-bat that scored Gebhardt and put FMU up 5-2.

The big blow in the inning came when pinch hitter Zach Lenns smacked a three-run homer to left field to give the Patriots an 8-2 lead. It was Lenns' first home run of the season.

Wilson gave the Patriots one final insurance run in the top of the ninth inning on an RBI double that scored Davenport, who drew a walk earlier in the frame. Stoner retired nine straight batters between the sixth and eighth innings, and the Patriots turned a double play in the bottom of the ninth to end the game and seal the seven-run victory.

Lenns was 1-for-2 at the plate with three RBIs. Wilson and Gebhardt both registered two hits and a RBI. Fulmer finished with two RBIs and a hit, and Davenport tallied a base knock, an RBI, a walk, and scored two runs.

R.J. Dennard led Armstrong at the plate with two base hits and a RBI. Joey Lupus and Dalton Johnson also registered two base knocks.