Francis Marion captures first-ever PBC Baseball Tournament title

AIKEN, S.C. – On a weekend where bats and offense ruled the 2009 Peach Belt Conference Baseball Tournament, Francis Marion University juniors Josh Edgin and Barrett Kleinknecht combined on a five-hitter as the ninth-ranked and second-seeded Patriots captured their first-ever tournament title with a 4-1 win over North Georgia College & State University, Sunday night (May 10).

Francis Marion extends its winning streak to a school-record 15 games, is now 36-13-1, and earns the PBC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division II National Tournament.

Earlier in the day, FMU had beaten 29th-ranked and sixth-seeded UNC Pembroke 12-9 in the semifinal round at USC Aiken’s Roberto Hernandez Stadium.

Edgin improved to 3-2 by allowing only three hits and one run in seven innings. He held the Saints hitless over the opening three frames. Kleinknecht pitched the final two innings to earn his sixth save of the year, and his third in as many games at the PBC Tournament. Kleinknecht struck out the side in the top of the ninth, despite also allowing two singles.

Senior catcher Jared Barkdoll was 4-for-4 and scored once to pace FMU at the plate.

The Patriots took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a sacrifice fly by freshman Tyler Boyd. The lead extended to 2-0 when sophomore first baseman Preston Shuey plated a run with a fielder’s choice grounder in the third.

After North Georgia trimmed the margin to 2-1 in the fifth, FMU scored twice in the sixth frame. Shuey reached on a fielding error and came all the way around to score on a second error. Later in the frame, center fielder Martin Gordon doubled in the final Patriot tally.

In the win over UNCP, Kleinknecht was 4-for-5 at the plate, scoring three runs, homering, and recording three RBIs. Barkdoll was 2-for-4 with two RBIs, while Shuey homered and drove in two runs.

Kleinknecht moved over from his shortstop position in the bottom of the ninth to collect the save by pitching a scoreless ninth. Pitching in relief of southpaw starter Jeremiah Meiners, FMU righty Erik Sommerville (5-3) pitched 4.2 innings and fanned one.

UNCP starter Josh Bagley took the loss, pitching pitched 3.2 innings and allowing six earned runs while striking out just one Patriot batter.

UNCP catcher Edmund Locklear led the Braves at the plate on Sunday afternoon. Locklear was 3-for-5 with a run and an RBI. Seth Kivett captured UNCP's lone home run in the contest.

UNC Pembroke opened the game by taking an early 4-0 advantage, but Francis Marion took things over in the top half of the fourth with eight runs.

The eight-run inning was part of a three-inning stretch for the Patriots that saw them score all 12 of their runs. FMU followed up the eight run fourth with one in the fifth and three more in the top of the sixth.