FLORENCE, S.C. – Junior right-handers Dylan Owen and Cole McKellar combined on a two-hit shutout and freshman designated hitter Ryan Hewitt drove in two runs as 29th-ranked Francis Marion University blanked Georgia Southwestern State University 6-0, Friday night (April 6) in Peach Belt Conference baseball action.

Francis Marion evened its PBC mark at 11-11 while upping its overall record to 27-14. The Hurricanes, who swept nationally ranked USC Aiken last weekend, drop to 12-19 overall and 6-10 in the PBC.

The two squads will play a doubleheader on Saturday at 1 p.m., the Patriots’ final home games of the season.

Owen (7-1) allowed only a pair of seeing-eye singles in the fourth inning, while striking out six in seven innings. McKellar retired all six batters he faced over the final two innings. GSW managed only one base runner over the final five frames, and he was quickly erased on a double play.

FMU scored the only run it would need in the opening frame. Justin Greene singled and scored all the way from first on an RBI single by senior Michael Ward. Greene finished the night with a pair of hits and three runs scored.

Sophomore first baseman Jared Barkdoll had three of the Patriots’ nine hits. Hewitt plated a run in the fifth on a sacrifice fly and one in the seventh on an RBI single to right field.

GSW lefty Brian Gartley (4-3) was the losing pitcher, as he allowed four runs in 6.2 innings.

With two outs in the top of the fourth inning, GSW center fielder Carlos Height bounced a single into left, a ball that eluded third baseman David Bounds, who in turn shielded shortstop Greg Phelps from seeing the ball. One batter later, Bryon Haynes pushed a single into short right field that just eluded the diving Patriot second baseman. On the play, Height was thrown out at home plate trying to score by FMU right fielder Nick Stewart, and Height was then ejected from the game for trying to run over Ward, the Patriot catcher.