FLORENCE, SC – Francis Marion University tallied eight runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, highlighted by five extra-base hits, to defeat the University of Montevallo 15-6, Sunday afternoon (March 8) in the finale of a three-game Peach Belt Conference baseball series.

FMU avoids the sweep and improves to 11-6 overall and 4-3 in the PBC, while the Falcons fall to 10-7 and 6-3.  Francis Marion will remain at home on Wednesday (March 11) for a non-conference tilt with Wingate University at 6 p.m.

Junior southpaw Jimmy Lindberg (1-0) fanned five, walked one, and surrendered only one earned run in 5.2 relief innings to earn the win.  Sophomore righty Joey Hume (1-2), the second of five Montevallo hurlers, gave up four runs and was tagged with the loss.

Francis Marion snagged an early 2-0 lead in the first inning thanks to RBI singles by junior outfielder J.D. Crowe and senior designated hitter Matt Rubino.

Montevallo responded with a five-run third inning, highlighted by a two-run single to center off the bat of designated hitter Vinny Rodriguez.  The Falcons were aided by two FMU errors in the frame.

However, the Patriots would plate two in the third – via RBI hits by Rubino and senior second baseman Chandler Smetana – to trim the margin to 5-4.  In the next frame, FMU junior third baseman Randy Loew connected on a single and as junior outfielder Casey Clauss reached third on the play, a throwing error by Montevallo allowed him to score to tie the game at 5-5.

The Patriots reclaimed the advantage at 6-5 in the fifth on junior outfielder Shuler Ward's sacrifice fly. 

A half inning later, Falcons' senior outfielder Matthew Haskins drove in a run on an RBI single through the right side to again deadlock the contest, this time at 6-6.

But in the inning's bottom half, the Francis Marion bats caught fire as every Patriot slugger approached the plate at least once.  Clauss started the rally with a lead-off single.  Loew and Crowe delivered run-scoring doubles.  Shortly thereafter, Rubino and Smetana cashed in on RBI singles.  Ward nearly homered when he drove a ball off the base of the left field wall to score Smetana with a double.  Shortstop Zach Callahan followed with an RBI double of his own.  The FMU foray climaxed when Clauss, in his second trip to the plate in the inning, laced a run-scoring triple to right center to give the Patriots a commanding 14-6 upper hand. 

Francis Marion tallied one more run in the seventh on a run-scoring double by senior catcher Nicholas McGee.

FMU's 19 hits is the second-highest total of the 2015 season and the most it has recorded in any of its conference matchups.

Rubino drove in three runs in a 4-for-5 performance, while Clauss and Loew both went 3-for-5.  Rubino extended his hitting streak to seven games, now has three games of at least four hits this year, and upped his team-best average to .463.

Third baseman Alex Jones (2-for-4) was the lone Falcon with multiple hits.

Lindberg, starter Daniel Barfield, and reliever Brandon Cook combined to strike out nine Falcon batters.