#21 Patriots rally the lose late 7-6 at ASU

SAVANNAH, Ga. - Freshman John Roberts' two-out RBI double in the bottom of the seventh inning snapped a 6-6l tie and gave the Armstrong Atlantic State University a 7-6 Peach Belt Conference victory over 21st-ranked Francis Marion University, Monday afternoon (March 2) in college baseball action.

The Patriots (10-6-1, 4-2) failed in their attempt to sweep the three-game series. AASU (7-8, 1-5 PBC) halted a five-game winless streak with the victory.

Francis Marion outhit AASU for a third straight game, but committed three errors on the day, including one costly error in the second inning. The Patriots collected 46 hits in the three contests and scored 39 runs.

FMU junior catcher Jacob Wallace was 3-for-5 with three runs scored, a home run, and two runs batted in. Both junior shortstop Barrett Kleinknecht and designated hitter Taylor Norfleet had two hits. Norfleet drove in a pair of runs with a solo homer and a double.

Bryan Roby led off the second inning for AASU by reaching on an infield fielding error. FMU starting pitcher Jeremiah Meiners retired the next two batters, but an RBI single by Michael Price drove in the first run, and four unearned more runs would follow, allowing AASU to assume a 5-0 lead.

Francis Marion got on the board in the top of the fourth as Wallace and Norfleet hit back-to-back solo home runs to lead off the inning. The Pirates got a run back in the bottom of the fifth on a suicide squeeze, but Francis Marion plated a run in the top of the sixth on an RBI groundout by Tyler Boyd to trail only 6-3.

The Patriots came all the way back with three runs in the top of the seventh. Trent Knight led off the inning with a pinch hit home run, then Wallace singled home Kleinknecht and Norfleet doubled in Wallace with the tying run, making the score 6-6.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, Kenny Cail drew a leadoff walk from Patriot reliever Brandon Forshee (2-1). A one-out sacrifice by Drew Carnes moved Cail to second, and then Roberts lofted his RBI double to right field, scoring Cail with the go-ahead run.

AASU center fielder Michael Price made a pair of game-saving plays in the eighth inning for the Pirates, robbing Boyd of extra bases with a running catch against the fence, and then throwing out Preston Shuey at the plate on a single by Colby Green when Shuey attempted to score from second.

AASU reliever Ryan Smith (2-0) then worked a hitless ninth, capping three innings of relief work to pick up the win for the Pirates.

Forshee gave up one hit and one run in three innings pitched, walking two and striking out three.

Alex Wyche led the Pirates offensively with a pair of hits, while Roberts finished his day 1-for-3 with a pair of RBIs.

Francis Marion will host Millersville University on Tuesday at 3 p.m. (moved up from a 7 p.m. start).

By Michael G. Hawkins