Spartanburg, S.C. - Ken Raborn’s run-scoring triple in the bottom of the eighth inning sparked a two-run outburst that propelled USC Aiken to a 7-5 win over Francis Marion University, Saturday morning (May 12) in an elimination game at the 2007 Peach Belt Conference Baseball Tournament. Raborn’s hit broke up a 5-5 deadlock and was followed by an RBI double from Chad Jacobsen to give the Pacers the two-run victory.
With the win, USCA improves to 37-21 and advances to play Armstrong Atlantic State on Saturday night at 7 p.m. Francis Marion is eliminated from tournament play and drops to 36-18 on the season. The Patriots must now await Monday's announcement of the NCAA Division II national tournament field to see if their season will continue.
FMU junior left-hander Zach Farry (4-2) took the loss after allowing the final two runs of the game to score in the eighth. Farry pitched the final three innings for the Patriots, giving up four hits and a walk.
USC Aiken took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first without the benefit of a hits. Francis Marion starter Michael Williams, who did not make it out of the inning, walked two straight with one out then hit a batter to load the bases. Josh Eachues then lofted a sacrifice fly to left to score Raborn.
Francis Marion responded with a run in the top of the second on an RBI single by first baseman Andy Howes. The Patriots took a 4-1 advantage with three runs in the third, including a solo home run from outfielder Justin Greene. With two runs in, USCA starter Scott Wandless was lifted for Jon Paul, who came into the game with the bases loaded and one out. Paul gave up a run on a sacrifice fly by Howes before getting out of the inning.
USCA trimmed the margin to 4-2 on an Eauches RBI single in the bottom of the third. Francis Marion boosted that lead back to three (5-2) in the sixth. Greg Phelps singled to start the inning and was moved to third on back-to-back sacrifice bunts. Sophomore catcher Jared Barkdoll brought Phelps home with a single to center field.
USC Aiken responded once again in the bottom of the sixth, scoring three runs to tie the game at 5-5. A Zach Cooper double scored Ben Tankersley; Cooper was brought home on an RBI single from Marc Joehnk; and Joehnk scored on a Raborn sacrifice fly.
Senior right fielder Nick Stewart and Phelps both had two hits for the Patriots, while Howes drove in two runs. FMU stranded 13 runners on base.
Raborn was perfect on the day for the Pacers, finishing 3-for-3 with three runs scored and two RBIs. Tankesley was 2-for-3 with a run while Eauches added two RBIs in his 1-for-3 day. Gary Lee (2-3) got the win for USC Aiken after pitching the final 1.1 innings and allowing no runs on two hits.
“Aiken just wanted it a little more than us today,” said Francis Marion head coach Art Inabinet. “It was back and forth. They got momentum and we never got it back.”
