FLORENCE, S.C. – Playing their final home games, four senior Francis Marion University position players combined for 13 hits and drove in seven runs to lead the 29th-ranked Patriots to a doubleheader sweep, 10-3 and 5-4, of Georgia Southwestern State University, Saturday afternoon (April 7) in Peach Belt Conference baseball action. Junior left-hander Zach Farry came in from the FMU bullpen and saved both games of the twinbill.
Francis Marion (29-14, 13-11) sweeps the three-game PBC series, outscoring the Hurricanes (12-21, 6-12) 21-7.
In the opener, senior first baseman Andy Howes recorded his second career four-hit game, while senior center fielder Derek Kennamer had two hits and three RBIs. Senior Michael Ward had one hit and upped his career-record RBI total with a bases-loaded walk, and senior right fielder Nick Stewart was 2-for-5.
Francis Marion scored five runs in the second and single runs in the fourth and fifth frames to take a 7-0 lead.
FMU junior righty Cole McKellar (6-3), who pitched the final two innings of Friday night’s 6-0 win, got the start in Saturday’s first game and allowed only two earned runs in five innings. Farry entered the game in the sixth with the bases-loaded, no outs, and FMU leading 7-3. He recorded a double-play come-backer to the mound and a strikeout to end the inning and hold the Patriot lead at three runs. GSW managed only three hits off Farry in his four innings of relief.
A two-run single by David Bounds in the seventh inning added insurance runs for FMU.
Trey Reeves and Ricky Hutchison both had two hits and an RBI to pace the Hurricanes in game one. Second baseman Rusty James also had two hits in game one. GSW freshman right-hander Colin Duffie (2-5) took the loss in the opener.
In the fifth inning of the second game, Ward snapped a 3-3 tie with his second bases-loaded walk of the afternoon. Kennamer singled home an insurance run in the sixth as Francis Marion took a 5-3 advantage.
GSW rallied in the seventh (and final inning) against Farry. The Hurricanes put runners on second and third with one out. Pinch runner Byron Haynes scored on a wild pitch, but again Farry was able to escape. He induced a come-backer to the mound that held the tying run at third and then got a game-ending ground out to second base to record his fifth save of the year and second of the afternoon.
GSW first baseman Shane Newmans was 2-for-2 with a pair of walks and an RBI in game two, while short stop Tommy Rice was 2-for-4. D.J. Decker (1-for-3) had the other Hurricane RBI in the game two. Starter Austin Smith (4-4) was the losing pitcher after leaving the game in the fifth inning with an injury.
Kennamer (2-for-4) and sophomore Taylor Norfleet (2-for-2) both two hits in game two. Norfleet’s performance included a solo home run over the right field fence in the fourth inning. Ward ended his day having pushed his career RBI total to 149.
Freshman left-hander Cory Deering (3-0) remained unbeaten by overcoming a shaky start and allowing only two earned runs in 5.2 innings, before giving way to Farry.
Francis Marion will play at Coker College on Tuesday at 3 p.m., while GSW plays host to the State University of West Georgia for a doubleheader on Wednesday at 1 p.m.
