FLORENCE, SC – Francis Marion University scored two unearned runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to snap a 2-2 tie and the 8th-ranked Patriots went on to claim a 4-2 win over Erskine College, Saturday afternoon (Feb. 6) in the Patriots’ 2010 home opener.


FMU avenges a 6-3 loss at Erskine on Thursday to even its mark at 1-1, while the Flying Fleet suffer their first loss of the season after three victories.


Senior left-hander Jeremiah Meiners (1-0) pitched two scoreless frames – the seventh and eighth innings-- to earn the win, while senior righty Brandon Forshee struck out the side in the ninth to register his first save of 2010.


Erskine starter Russell Reid (Hudson, NC, South Caldwell HS) (1-1) was tagged with the loss, although the unearned runs in the seventh were his undoing.



Senior shortstop Barrett Kleinknecht was the lone Patriot with multiple hits as he went 2-for-3 with a pair of runs batted in. Three Flying Fleet hurlers limited FMU to only five hits.



First baseman John Bolding (Pickens, SC, Pickens HS) was 2-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI for Erskine, while designated hitterDrew Willingham (Greenwood, SC, Greenwood HS) was 2-for-3 with an RBI.



FMU took a 1-0 lead in the second frame when Alex Lee walked, advanced to third on a single by Preston Shuey, and continued home when the throw from the left fielder was high. The Patriots doubled their lead to 2-0 on an RBI-double to left center by Kleinknecht in the fifth inning.



Erskine tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the six as Bolding drilled a solo home run to left field and Brian Laznik (Chardon, OH, Lakeland CC) then walked and came around to score on an RBI-double by Willingham.



The decisive two runs for FMU came with one out in the seventh inning. Catcher Logan Bland was hit by a pitch to open the frame and after being sacrificed to second base, he scored on an infield error on a ball hit by Martin Gordon. Gordon then stole second base and moved to third on a single by Tyler Boyd. Kleinknecht then accounted for the final run with a sacrifice fly to center field.

 

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