Limestone rallies past Francis Marion 7-4 on baseball diamond

FLORENCE, SC – Freshman catcher Joe Maloney went 2-for-4 with two runs batted in and he scored the go-ahead run on a two-out error in the bottom of the sixth inning to help Limestone College to a 7-4 win over 33rd-ranked Francis Marion University, Saturday afternoon (Feb. 7) in the South Atlantic (baseball) Challenge.

Francis Marion drops to 2-2, while Limestone picks up its first win of the year in three tries. The Saints are coached by 1979 Francis Marion graduate and former Patriot outfielder Chico Lombardo.

The challenge concludes on Sunday with Limestone playing Augusta State University at noon, Lander University playing St. Andrews Presbyterian College at 3 p.m., and FMU playing Coker College at 6 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults and $2 for students.

Lander defeated Coker 7-3 in Saturday’s opener.

FMU held a 4-2 lead in the fifth inning, thanks to a 2-run double by center fielder Alex Lee. However, the Saints scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to take the lead. Maloney tripled home two runs, before scoring on the infield error to put the Saints up 6-5.

In the top of the eighth, Saints’ center fielder Greg Dailey threw out FMU catcher Jared Barkdoll trying to score from second base on a two-out single by Keon Graves to preserve the one-run lead. Limestone added two insurance runs in the last of the eighth frame.

Lee led FMU with three hits, while Graves was 2-for-4. Junior righty Barrett Kleinknecht (0-1) moved from shortstop to the pitcher’s mound in the sixth frame and was tagged with the loss. Second baseman Colby Green drove in one Patriot run with a fielder’s choice grounder.

Freshman right-hander Matt Crisp (1-0) earned the win in relief, while Jordan Robinson pitched two scoreless innings to get a save.

Limestone first baseman Drew Lydon went 4-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored, while left fielder Tim Welsh was 3-for-5 with two runs scored. Designated hitter Justin Moore plated the first two Limestone runs with a single to center in the fourth frame.


Limestone College 7, #33 Francis Marion Univ. 4 (Feb 07, 2009 at Florence, SC)
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Francis Marion Univ. 000 130 000 - 4 10 3 (2-2)
Limestone College... 000 203 02X - 7 14 1 (1-2)
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Pitchers: Francis Marion Univ. - Erik Sommerville; Brandon Forshee(5); Barrett Kleinknecht(6).
Limestone College - Matheney, Kyle; Crisp, Matt(6); Robinson, Jordan(8).
Win-Crisp, Matt(1-0) Save-Robinson, Jordan(1) Loss-Barrett Kleinknecht(0-1) T-2:45 A-100
Matheney faced 1 batter in the 6th.
Forshee faced 2 batters in the 6th.