FLORENCE, SC – Georgia Southwestern designated hitter
Trent Dooley went 2-for-3 and drove in three runs to lead the
Hurricanes past fifth-ranked Francis Marion University, 9-4, in the
finale of Saturday's (April 24) Peach Belt Conference
doubleheader. Francis Marion won the first game, 9-3.
In the victory, GSW recorded 12 hits and took advantage of five
walks and three Francis Marion errors. The Hurricanes chased
Barrett Kleinknecht (5-1) from the mound in the fourth inning as he
suffered his first loss of the season. He entered the game
with a 0.91 earned run average, having allowed only one run and 13
hits over his past 29.2 frames.
GSW starter Jody Sellers (6-4) earned the win, while righty
Brandon Reeder pitched 3 1/3 scoreless frames to garner his second
save of the year.
Chris Lingham concluded a productive afternoon at plate with a
3-for-5 outing in Game 2 that included two runs scored and saw him
come within a homer of hitting for the cycle. In addition to
Dooley, Bud Long, Zack Stanton, and Beau Parker all registered two
hits in the second contest. Long also drove in two runs.
Trailing 1-0, GSW scored three times in each of the third,
fourth, and sixth innings.
Bucky Wells, Graham Couch, Tyler Cappelmann and Kleinknecht
tallied two hits apiece for FMU (38-11, 16-8 PBC).
The 'Canes are undefeated this spring (24-0) when leading after
six innings.
The win on Saturday marks the second time in the past three
seasons that GSW has defeated the fifth-ranked team in the nation.
The 'Canes won 9-6 on February 8, 2008, at then-No. 5 West
Alabama.
In the opener of the twinbill, Francis Marion scored four runs
in the fourth inning to open a 6-1 lead and went on to the 9-3
victory.
FMU took an early 2-0 advantage with a two-out, two-run single
in the bottom of the first.
GSW trimmed the margin to 2-1 in the third on a solo homer to
left by shortstop Kevin Carroll (2), but FMU scored the next five
runs to put the game out of reach.
Parker and Long knocked in a run apiece in the seventh to round
out the 'Canes scoring.
Lingham was the lone Hurricane with two hits in the opener as he
went 2-for-4 and scored once. Right-hander Chris Carroll (3-1)
suffered his first loss of 2010 as he surrendered six runs (four
earned) in 3 1/3 innings.
Don Sandifer (6-0) allowed three runs on six hits in seven
innings for FMU. Erik Sommerville finished up with two scoreless
innings.
GSW and FMU will meet again on May 8 for the opening round of
the PBC Tournament.
In the meantime, Southwestern (26-18, 12-12) plays at West
Georgia on Tuesday at 5 p.m. to conclude the regular season.
