Thursday, February 19, 2004
Blue Hose Outlast #17 Patriots 13-11 in Extras
FLORENCE, SC – Presbyterian College scored a pair of runs on only one hit in the top of the 11th inning to take a wild 13-11 non-conference win over 17th-ranked Francis Marion University, Thursday evening (Feb. 19) in college baseball action.
The Blue Hose avenged Wednesday’s home loss to FMU and upped their record to 2-4, while Francis Marion dropped to 4-2 with only its sixth loss in its last 35 games at Cormell Field.
The marathon game lasted three hours and 50 minutes and featured 33 hits. Presbyterian senior Kevin White (1-0) moved from center field to the pitching mound in the bottom of the 10th inning and picked up the win, while FMU junior righty Kevin Kentner (0-2), who also entered the game in the 10th frame, was tagged with the loss.
Patriot shortstop Jason Weaver helped stake FMU to a 7-3 lead with a grand slam home run in the bottom of the fourth inning, but Presbyterian rallied to tie the game at 7-7 with a four-run sixth inning. A bases-loaded walk followed by an FMU infield error helped fuel the Blue Hose rally.
Presbyterian took an 8-7 lead in the seventh on an RBI single by Jonathan Wyman, but FMU answered with a run in the eighth on an RBI single by Luke Ogletree. Both teams scored three runs in a wild 10th frame. Presbyterian used a walk, two hard-hit singles, an infield error, and two infield singles to tally its runs, while FMU left fielder Chris Newman hit a two-run double in the bottom of the frame that eluded Blue Hose left fielder Davan Abney and allowed a third and game-tying run to score.
In the 11th inning, a leadoff single by Philip Hauserman, a sacrifice bunt, and two walks loaded the bases for Presbyterian. Jake Lunnen’s ground ball to second resulted in another Patriot error allowing Hauserman to cross home plate. Curtis Bell plated the final Blue Hose run with a sacrifice fly.
Hauserman, Wyman, Lunnen, Bell, Donald Sheppard, Lance Howard, and Robert Rodebaugh all collected two hits for Presbyterian, with Bell driving in a pair of runs.
Weaver led FMU with three hits, three runs scored, and the four runs batted in. Ogletree also banged out three hits, while driving in one run. Quentin Davis, Newman, Adam Dutka, and Kenneth Yaeger also had two hits apiece for the Patriots.
The Patriots will play host to third-ranked Kennesaw State University for a three-game Peach belt Conference series this weekend, beginning with a doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m. Presbyterian College will host Shepherd College for a twinbill, Saturday at noon.