Box Score FLORENCE, SC – Senior left fielder Casey Clauss and junior catcher Logan Koch each collected four hits, with Koch homering and driving in three runs, to guide Francis Marion University to a 12-2 win over Young Harris College, Friday evening (March 18) in Peach Belt Conference baseball action.
Francis Marion improves to 16-9 overall and 4-6 in the Peach Belt, while the Mountain Lions drop to 8-16 and 3-10. The two squads will continue their weekend series with a single game on Saturday at 3 p.m., and conclude the series with a single game on Sunday at 1 p.m.
FMU senior right-hander Fernando Pinillos ran his record to 5-1 with six strong innings. He scattered eight hits, allowed one, fanned eight, and walked two. Senior southpaw Daniel Barfield pitched two innings of hitless relief, striking out five of the six batters he faced. Junior right-hander Chance DuCharme struck out the side in the ninth as the Patriot hurlers combined for 16 strikeouts.
Clauss ended the night 4-for-5 with two runs scored and one driven in, while Koch was 4-for-5 with three runs scored. Patriot shortstop Brooks Kennedy was 3-for-6 with two runs scored and two RBIs. The Patriots rapped out a total of 18 hits.
Kennedy led off the Patriot first with a single to extend his hitting streak to 13 games. A ground out and wild pitch later, Kennedy stood on third and then scored on an RBI grounder by senior designated hitter JD Crowe.
Clauss ignited a five-run second inning with a lead-off triple down the right field line. He scored on an RBI single by Koch. Sophomore first baseman Zach Paquette drove in two in the outburst with a double down the left field line and Kennedy laced a two-run single up the middle.
Third baseman Zach Wall accounted for the lone Mountain Lion RBI with a run-scoring single through the left side with one out in the top of the third. Wall and catcher Chris McGinnis both finished the game 2-for-4.
Koch restored the six-run margin with a solo homer down the right field line in the bottom of the third. A two-run single by Paquette highlighted a five-run eighth inning as the Patriots batted around for the second time on Friday.
Young Harris righty Jackson Winskie (0-2) was tagged with the loss.
Francis Marion Univ. 12, Young Harris College 2 (Mar 18, 2016 at Florence, SC)
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Young Harris College 001 000 001 - 2 10 2 (8-16, 3-10 PBC)
Francis Marion Univ. 151 000 05X - 12 18 3 (16-9, 4-6 PBC)
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Pitchers: Young Harris College - Jackson Winskie; Evan Meyer(2); Johnny Spring(8);
Jack Ganter(8); Clark Wright(8) and Chris McGinnis. Francis Marion Univ. - Fernando Pinillos;
Daniel Barfield(7); Chance DuCharme(9) and Logan Koch.
Win-Fernando Pinillos(5-1) Loss-Jackson Winskie(0-2) T-3:01 A-504
HR FMU - Logan Koch (1).
Weather: Sunny 68 Degrees Wind 1 MPH
