FLORENCE, S.C. – Junior right-hander Dylan Owen pitched a two-hit shutout and sophomore catcher Jared Barkdoll drilled a 2-run home run to pace seventh-ranked Francis Marion University to a 4-0 win over St. Andrews Presbyterian College in the opening game of the Gerald Griffin Baseball Classic (PBC-CVAC Challenge), Friday afternoon (Feb. 9).

FMU (3-1) faces Mount Olive College on Saturday at 3 p.m., while St. Andrews (1-2) plays Lenoir-Rhyne College at 6 p.m.

Owen faced the minimum 18 batters through six innings and did not allow a hit until two were out in the top of the seventh. Michael Eastwood singled up the middle to stop the no-hitter. FMU second baseball Ryan Hewitt made a diving stop on the ball, but Eastwood’s head-first slide into the bag just beat the throw.

St. Andrews’ only other hit was a single to center field by Chad Heckler to lead off the ninth frame. Owen threw 102 pitches with 71 finding the strike zone. He has yet to allow an earned run in two starts (15 innings) this season.

Barkdoll’s 370-foot drive over the left center field fence gave FMU a 2-0 advantage in the second inning. Hewitt and Derek Kennamer added run-scoring singles in the fourth inning to account for the other FMU runs.

Senior right fielder Nick Stewart led FMU with a 3-for-4 day at the plate, while Barkdoll, Hewitt, and Kennamer had two hits apiece.

Lefty Ryan Curley (0-1) went the distance for the Knights, allowing 11 hits while fanning five.