GREENWOOD, S.C. ---- Junior shortstop Greg Phelps was a perfect 5-for-5 and freshman left-hander Cory Deering pitched seven strong innings as 19th-ranked Francis Marion University downed Lander University 13-3, Thursday night (May 3) in Peach Belt Conference baseball action at Legion Field.

FMU improves to 34-15 overall and 17-11 in the PBC with its fifth straight win, while Lander drops to 19-33, 8-20. The two teams will complete their three-game series with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. on Friday.

Deering improved to 4-0 as he struck out seven, walked three, and allowed only two runs on seven hits in seven innings. Lander’s Justin Altman (4-5) suffered the loss as he allowed six runs (five earned) in 5.2 innings.

FMU sprinted out to a 5-0 lead in the first inning capped by second baseman Ryan Hypke’s three-run homer, his first of the year, over the left field fence. Michael Ward gave the Patriots a 1-0 lead with an RBI double and Nick Stewart singled home a run to make it 2-0.

Lander cut the Patriot lead to 5-1 in the bottom of the inning when Brendan O’Connor tripled to left center then scored on Jesse Barboro’s RBI single to center field.

The Patriots stretched their lead to 6-1 in the sixth inning when Phelps singled to center, stole second, and then scored on a throwing error.  FMU plated four runs in the seventh inning to take a 10-1 advantage. Taylor Norfleet singled to right field, advanced to second on Stewart’s single to left, and then Hypke walked to load the bases with no outs. Norfleet scored on Phelps’ RBI single, with Hypke and Stewart crossing home plate on Derek Kennamer’s double down the right field line. Phelps later scored an unearned run on a Lander throwing error.

Lander made it 10-2 in the bottom of the seventh when T.J. Guinan scored on O’Connor’s RBI triple.

Stewart’s lead-off solo homer in the eighth gave FMU an 11-2 lead.  He finished the game 3-for-5 with three runs scored and two RBIs.  Hypke scored later in the eighth on a wild pitch, and Chris Hutto's RBI double in the ninth completed the FMU scoring.

For Lander, O’Connor went 3-for-4 with two triples, a run scored, and one RBI, while McCann went 1-for-4 with a triple and a run scored.

Francis Marion sophomore Jared Barkdoll singled and scored in the first inning to extend his hitting streak to 16 games.  Phelp's five singles tied a Patriot single-game record and his hit total was one shy of the school record.