FLORENCE, SC – Freshman right-hander Dylan Owen allowed only three singles while striking out a career-high equaling 10 as 10th-ranked Francis Marion University blanked Claflin College 5-0 in non-conference baseball action Saturday afternoon (April 23).

FMU wins its fourth straight game and ups its record to 32-14-1, the second-highest win total in the program's 33-year history. Only the 1988 squad with a 35-13 mark registered more victories in a season.  Claflin drops to 25-24 after losing the first-ever meeting between the Panthers and Patriots.

The two squads will both conclude their regular-season schedules on Sunday with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. on Cormell Field.

Owen (6-3) made a bid for his second no-hitter of the season, but Claflin catcher Ryan Stein singled through the left side with one out in the top of the seventh inning.

FMU scored twice in the third frame off Panther starter Ed Paul.  Senior Quentin Davis drove home the first run with an RBI groundout, while senior Luke Ogletree followed with an RBI double to right field.

Francis Marion upped the margin to 3-0 in the fifth inning.  Ogletree drilled his second run-scoring double of the contest, plating Jason Weaver, who had reached on an infield single.

The advantage grew to 5-0 in the seventh frame when Ogletree laced an RBI single to right field, and later Nick Stewart was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

Ogletree ended the game three-for-four with the three RBIs, while Brian McFadden, Omar Quiles, and Weaver were all two-for-four.

Stein added a second single for Claflin in the top of the ninth and finished the game two-for-four, while Panther shortstop Karl Fultz had the other Claflin single in the eighth inning.

Francis Marion Univ. 5, Claflin College 0 (Apr 23, 2005 at Florence, SC)

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Claflin College.......... 000 000 000   -  0  3  5      (25-24)

Francis Marion Univ. 002 010 20X  -  5 13  1      (32-14-1)

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Pitchers: Claflin College - Ed Paul. Francis Marion Univ. - Dylan Owen.  Win - Owen (6-3)  Loss - Paul    T-1:55    Atten.-120

Game notes: Second-most wins in FMU baseball history ; First-ever meeting between the two schools