Patriots complete sweep of Augusta State with two wins

FLORENCE, SC – Junior shortstop Barrett Kleinknecht recorded five hits and drove in five runs and Francis Marion University received two strong starts from lefty pitchers to help the 28th-ranked Patriots to a doubleheader sweep, 8-5 and 4-2, of Augusta State University, Sunday afternoon (April 19) in Peach Belt Conference baseball action.

The wins gave FMU a three-game sweep of the Jaguars (21-27, 8-13) and lifted the Patriots into second place in the Peach Belt with a 16-9 record, only one-half game out of first place. Francis Marion improves to 29-13-1 with its eighth straight victory.

In the opener, Francis Marion built an 8-1 lead after six innings. Junior southpaw Josh Edgin (2-2) pitched eight innings, allowing nine hits and four runs. Kleinknecht went 3-for-3 at the plate with a double and two runs batted in. He also went to the mound and recorded the final two outs of the game to earn his third save of 2009.

FMU center fielder Martin Gordon was 3-for-5 with an RBI, while Jared Barkdoll was 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs and Jacob Wallace was 3-for-5 with two RBIs. Junior outfielder Alex Lee added a solo homer.

For ASU, infielders Jorge Virguez, Kevin Owens, and Evan Smith all had two hits. Owens and designated hitter Tristan Toorie both homered. Jaguar starter Wilson Taylor was tagged with the loss after allowing 10 hits and four earned runs in 5.1 innings.

In the second game, junior lefty Jeremiah Meiners (5-1) limited ASU to one run on two hits through eight innings. Brandon Forshee came on to strikeout Tony Baker with the tying runs on base in the ninth to end the game and record his fourth save.

ASU took a 1-0 lead in the second when Evan Smith drove in Toorie with an RBI groundout. The Patriots scored all four of their runs in the fifth frame on an RBI single by Lee and a three-run homer by Kleinknecht. ASU scored once in the ninth on an RBI single by Owens.

Lee and Kleinknecht both had two hits in the second contest, while Gordon extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a second-inning single.

Tim Rawlings had a pair of doubles in four at bats to pace the Jaguars in game two. Senior left-hander Ben Dukes started for ASU and allowed the four runs in 5.1 innings.

Kleinknecht finished the three-game series 7-for-11 with 11 runs batted in.

Francis Marion plays at Belmont Abbey College on Thursday at 3 p.m.