Box Score FLORENCE, S.C. – Nationally eighth-ranked Francis Marion
opened the three-game Peach Belt Conference East Division top-15
national showdown with USC Aiken with a narrow 5-3 game one victory
over the 14th-ranked Pacers on Friday evening at Cormell
Field at Sparrow Stadium.
Francis Marion (32-13, 18-9 PBC) was able to plate the first
three runs of the game in the bottom of the first inning.
USC Aiken (30-15, 17-11 PBC) would counter in the top of the
second when Will Tankersley
belted a solo home run to lead things off in the frame. The home
run was the sixth of the year for Tankersley (Thomson,
Ga./Thomson).
Francis Marion from there would go on to add a run each in the
bottom of the fourth and sixth innings to own a 5-1 lead entering
the top of the seventh.
The Pacers would cut into the Francis Marion advantage in the
top of the seventh inning with two runs. Nick Aranas
(Lexington, S.C./Lexington) claimed the two runs for USC Aiken when
with two outs already on the board he doubled in Josh Miller (Chapin,
S.C./Chapin) and Stephen Carmon
(Camden, S.C./Camden). Both Miller and Carmon had singled to get on
base.
USC Aiken from there would threaten in the eighth and ninth
innings, but in the end would not be able to get any closer.
USC Aiken concluded the loss out-hitting Francis Marion,
12-11.
Miller, Aranas and Ty Barkell (Denver,
Colo./Palmer Ridge) led the Pacers in their narrow loss with two
hits each. Aranas had two RBIs, while Miller scored a run.
Francis Marion leadoff hitter Michael Wilson led the Patriots
with three hits.
Spencer Jordan collected the win on the hill for Francis Marion.
Jordan (8-3) struck out eight in his 6.2 innings on the mound.
Jeffrey Stoner dealt the final 2.1 innings for Francis Marion to
claim his fifth save of the year.
USC Aiken's Derek Beasley
(Harlem, Ga./Harlem) dropped to 7-4 on the year with his loss on
the mound. Beasley pitched just one-third of an inning.
Thomas
McLeod dealt the final 7.2 innings for USC Aiken. McLeod
(Chapin, S.C./Chapin) fanned five.
The three-game series between the Peach Belt Conference East
Division rivals will close with a doubleheader on Saturday, April
21. The first game of the doubleheader on Saturday is slated for 2
p.m.
The three-game series is the final Peach Belt Conference series
of the 2012 season for the Pacers.
