Columbus, GA -  Columbus State won its fourth straight conference
series on Saturday with a split over #22 Francis Marion.  CSU took
game one 4-2, but fell in the nightcap 10-3.  The Cougars beat the
Patriots 9-0 last night on Good Friday.  CSU is 23-10 overall and 8-4
in league play. 

CSU starter Anthony Arrington improved to 5-3 on the season in a
complete-game effort in the opener.  The junior from LaGrange,
scattered six hits, allowed two runs (one earned), walked one, and
fanned seven Patriots.

FMU got on the board with a first-inning run.  Greg Phelps led off
with a single, moved to second on a Tyler Lehman sac-bunt, moved to
third on a wild pitch, and scored on a Justin Greene groundout.

CSU tallied two runs in the third inning courtesy of  Brian Gordon two-
run single.  The Cougars scratched another run in the fourth inning as
C.J. Bressoud came home on Aaron Beasley's sac-fly to right.  Bressoud
opened the inning with a bloop single to right.

Gordon's perfect opening game continued with a line drive homer to
right field to make it 4-1 CSU.  Gordon went 4-for-4 with three RBIs
in the game.

FMU scored a run in the ninth inning off Arrington and had the tying
run at the plate, but the righty fanned Greene to end the game.

Erik Sommerville (4-1) lost his first game of the season for the
Patriots.  He went eight innings, allowed nine hits, four runs (two
earned), walked one, and fanned five.

Jonnie Gegier went 3-for-4 for the Cougars.  Josh Smith went 3-for-4
and Phelps went 2-for-5 for the Patriots.

In the second game of the twinbill, FMU pounded CSU starter Danny
Davidson for seven runs en route to the 10-3 win.

FMU scored twice in the first inning on two hits.  Jared Barkdoll had
an RBI double in the frame.  

Geiger tripled to lead off the first inning for the Cougars and came
home on a Brandon Masters sac-fly to right.  CSU tied the game up at 2-
2 in the third ining on a Thomas Morrison RBI double.

In the Cougar fourth, pinch-hitter Beasley led off with an opposite
field hit.  Freshman Tim Bondell moved him over on a sac-bunt.  Geiger
then burned the right fielder again, this time an RBI double to give
CSU a brief 3-2 lead.

FMU ( 22-12, 8-7 PBC) chased Davidson in the fifth inning with a five-
spot.  The Patriots had five hits in the inning, highlighted by
Greene's first homer of the season, a two-run shot to right field.  

The Patriots added three insurance runs off CSU reliever Jason Weaver
in the ninth inning to provide the final outcome of 10-3.

FMU's Zane Petty, in relief of starter Cory Deering, got his first win
of the season.  He went 4.2 innings, allowed three hits, one run, and
struck out three.  Zach Farry pitched the final two innings for the
Patriots.  FMU pounded out 15 hits, with Phelps and Greene each
getting three hits.  Barkdoll, Preston Shuey, and Keon Graves added
two hits.

Davidson fell to 3-2 on the season for the Cougars.  He allowed eight
hits, seven runs (six earned) in four plus innings.  Geiger went 3-for-
5, including an incredible catch that turned into a double play in the
seventh inning.  Morrison and Beasley each had two hits.  CSU
committed three errors.