Kivett leads Braves to 10-7 win at FMU

FLORENCE, SC – Junior first baseman Seth Kivett tallied four hits, scored twice, and drove in two runs and UNC Pembroke staved off a late Francis Marion University rally to claim a 10-7 Peach Belt Conference win, Sunday afternoon (Feb. 22) in baseball action.

Francis Marion drops to 8-4-1 overall and 2-1 in the PBC, while the Braves move to 10-4 and 1-2.

Senior infielder Keon Graves and junior shortstop Barrett Kleinknecht both had three hits for Francis Marion, which totaled a season-high equaling 15 hits in the losing effort. Kleinknecht also drove in three runs. Senior catcher Jared Barkdoll and freshman left fielder Tyler Boyd both added two hits apiece.

Following Kivett, outfielders Derek Funk and Josh Haley both recorded two hits for the Braves.

UNCP snapped a 2-2 deadlock with six consecutive runs, three in the sixth inning and three more in the eighth. In the sixth frame, Kivett scored on a two-out error by the Patriots and third baseman Jason Coker followed with a two-run homer. In the eighth, Funk and Haley delivered run-scoring singles and Kevin Dietrich lifted a sacrifice fly.

Francis Marion rallied to within 8-6 with four runs in the bottom of the eighth. Kleinknecht and Jacob Wallace delivered run-scoring singles, while Barkdoll doubled home a run and Graves hit a sacrifice fly.

The Braves answered with two insurance runs in the ninth to lead 10-6. Kivett stroked his fourth homer of the season and D.J. Dean scored on a two-out wild pitch.

Again, the Patriots tried to rally in their final at bat. Kleinknecht hit an RBI-single to left to cut the deficit to 10-7 with the bases still loaded and only one out. UNCP reliever Ryan Kirkman then entered the game and got Wallace to ground into a game-ending double play.

Kirkman earned his second save of 2009, while Rudy Brown (2-0) got the win. FMU starter Erik Sommerville (1-1) suffered the loss despite allowing only four hits and two earned runs in his 5.2 innings.

FMU will play at Barton College on Tuesday at 2 p.m., while UNCP travels to Wingate University on Wednesday for a 3 p.m. contest.

By Michael G. Hawkins