YOUNG HARRIS, GA – Senior Matt Rubino hit for the cycle and junior Casey Clauss equaled two Francis Marion University single-game records as the Patriots beat Young Harris College 24-3 in game one and then rallied from a six-run deficit to claim a 13-6 game-two win and a sweep of Saturday's (March 21) Peach Belt Conference baseball doubleheader.

The two victories improved FMU's record to 16-9 overall and 7-5 in the PBC.  Young Harris fell to 10-16 and 7-10.

Because of forecasted rain, tomorrow's finale between YHC and FMU has been moved up to an 11 a.m. start.

In the first game, Rubino, who now boasts a 15-game hitting streak, became only the fourth Patriot in team history to hit for the cycle, joining Lewis Brown (1978), Rodney Rogers (1993), and Tim Dockery (1997).  His eight RBIs were second most in school history.  Both Rich Keirstead in 1990 against USC Spartanburg and Randy Worrell in 1983 against Voorhees College drove in nine runs.

Meanwhile, Clauss' output in the opener tied the FMU single-game record for runs scored (5) – last accomplished by Justin Greene against Augusta State University in 2008 – and hits (6), which was set by Randy Phillips versus Oberlin College in 1980. Clauss' six singles set a new school mark, breaking the old record of five set by Jimmy Miles (1980), Marquis Spell (1992), Mel Young (1996), Omar Quiles (2005), Justin Greene (2006), Derek Kennamer (2007), Greg Phelps (2007), and Tyler Cappelmann (2010).

As a team, FMU's 24 runs in the first game were the most scored by the Patriots in seven years. 

With YHC in front 2-1 in the opener, the floodgates opened up for the Patriots in the top of the second when FMU tallied six runs on seven hits.  After two straight singles from junior second baseman Cole Morris and senior right fielder Zac Lenns, senior shortstop Zach Callahan nailed a three-run homer to give FMU the 4-2 edge.  Senior J.D. Crowe's RBI single made it 5-2 in FMU's favor.  Rubino later followed with a two-run double through the left side to increase the FMU upper hand to 7-2.

In the bottom of the fourth, YHC sophomore Zach Wall singled, then eventually scored on a Patriot error to trim the FMU advantage to 7-3.

But the potent Patriots offense put the game out of reach by pounding in eight runs in the fifth.  Junior Randy Loew and senior Conner Wessel both hit two-run singles, Rubino added a two-run triple and was brought home on a double by sophomore William Robbins, and Clauss, who batted twice in the inning, singled to score Robbins, making it 15-3 Patriots. 

Francis Marion tacked on another run in the sixth.  Then in the seventh, Rubino sealed his cycle performance in grand fashion by blasting a grand slam (his third home run of the season) as the Patriots scored five in the frame.  The eighth inning featured a three-run shot off the bat of Loew.  

Junior southpaw Matt Kelley (5-2) struck out 13 Mountain Lion swingers in seven innings of work to earn the win, while senior William Leatherwood (2-3) took the loss.

Game two began unfavorably for FMU starter Jordy Santak, as the Mountain Lions plated six runs in the bottom of the first on RBI hits by Wall, catcher Spencer Thomas, first baseman Blake Suggs, second baseman Michael Livingston and left fielder Jimmy Pinakidis.

The final 13 runs went to the Patriots however.  Rubino produced the first run on an RBI groundout in the fourth.  He scored FMU's next run in the sixth inning when Morris gashed a single to right field to slice the deficit to 6-2. 

FMU registered four additional runs in the seventh, highlighted by run-scoring singles from Crowe and Wessel. 

Seven more Patriots would touch home plate, as FMU's offensive blitz dismounted the Mountain Lions.  FMU snapped the 6-6 deadlock with five runs in the top of the eighth, all coming with two outs.

Morris and Crowe were both 3-for-4 in the second contest with two RBIs, while Clauss and Wessel both had two hits in the come-from-behind victory.

The game-two winner was FMU junior lefty Daniel Barfield (2-0), who tossed six scoreless frames in relief, while freshman righty Dylan Gibeau (1-2) was the loser.

The Patriots have now scored an amazing 70 runs in their last four games.