SPARTANURG, S.C. ---- Junior All-American right-hander Dylan Owen struck out a career-high equaling 14 batters and junior southpaw Zach Farry recorded his 10th save as 22nd-ranked Francis Marion University beat 30th-ranked USC Upstate 4-2, Thursday night (May 10) in an opening round game at the Peach Belt Conference Baseball Tournament.

Francis Marion (36-16) survived on a day that saw the top two seeds in the tournament both lose. FMU will face 25th-ranked Armstrong Atlantic State University in a winner’s bracket game, Friday at 7 p.m.

Owen improved 10-1 as he allowed only six hits and two runs in 7.2 innings. Farry improved upon his school record for saves in a season as he got the final out in the eighth inning and pitched a scoreless ninth.

Patriot leadoff batter Derek Kennamer went 3-for-4 and scored once, while senior right fielder Nick Stewart was 2-for-2 with a triple and a run scored. His three-bagger was the 18th triple of his career, tying the FMU record set by Dustin Sands (1995-98).

Francis Marion scored in the bottom of the first when Kennamer reached on an infield single to short, stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by the Spartans.  Michael Ward singled home Kennamer and in the process extended his school record for career RBIs to 156.

The game remained that way until the bottom of the fifth inning when FMU struck for two more runs to up the margin to 3-0.  Stewart led off the inning with his triple to left, sliding under the tag of third baseman Zach Waterbury to set the stage for the Patriots.  After Ryan Hypke was hit by a pitch from Upstate starter Matt Branham (3-3), Andy Howes singled down the right field line to score Stewart and send Hypke to third.  Hypke crossed home with the third run on a sacrifice fly by Greg Phelps.

Upstate rallied against Owen in the eighth inning, courtesy of a two-out, two-run single by Mike Colecchi.

Francis Marion added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth inning as Ward walked, went to second on a sacrifice bunt, and scored on an RBI single through the left side by Hypke.

“Any team could have won this baseball game,” said Francis Marion head coach Art Inabinet.  “We scored early and I think that helped relax us.  It was just a real good game.”

Eric Guillen was the only Spartan to pick up multiple hits in the loss. “Dylan Owen was the story of the game tonight,” said Upstate head coach Matt Fincher.  “He was outstanding.  (Matt) Branham pitched a great game as well.  It was just a good baseball game.”

FMU sophomore Jared Barkdoll went 0-for-4 and had his 18-game hitting streak snapped.

In the other two opening-round contests, USC Aiken upset fifth-ranked and top-seeded Georgia College & State University 11-10 and AASU upset 15th-ranked and second-seeded Columbus State University 3-1.