USC Aiken Ousts Francis Marion 7-5

usca_3May 12, 2007
Spartanburg, S.C. - Ken Raborn’s triple in the bottom of the eighth inning sparked a two-run ouburst that propelled the USC Aiken Pacers to a 7-5 win over Francis Marion at the 2007 PBC Tournament on Saturday.  Raborn’s strike broke open a tied game and was followed by a double from Chad Jacobsen to give the Pacers the two-run victory.  

With the win, USCA improves to 37-21 and advances to play Armstrong Atlantic State on Saturday night at 7:00 p.m.  Francis Marion is eliminated from tournament play with the loss which drops them to 36-18 on the season.  However, FMU should live to see another day with a probably at-large bid to the NCAA regionals next week.

“It was a hard fought baseball game,” said USC Aiken head coach Kenny Thomas.  “Each inning was a new battle.  Francis Marion played real hard.  Jon Paul kept us in the game.  We had a bunch of guys that stepped us for us.”

USC Aiken started the scoring in the bottom of the first, getting a run with no hits.  Francis Marion starter Michael Williams, who did not make it out of the inning, walked two straight with one out then hit a batter to load the bases.  Josh Eachues then lofted a sacrifice fly to left to score Raborn.

Francis Marion answered back with a run in the top of the second on an RBI single from Andy Howes, then put up three more in the third, including a solo home run from Justin Greene.  With two runs in, USCA starter Scott Wandless was lifted for Jon Paul, who came into the game with the bases loaded and one out.  Paul gave up a run on an Andy Howes sacrifice fly before getting out of the inning.

Eauches drove in his second run in the bottom of the third with an RBI single to score Raborn as Aiken cut the lead to two.

Francis Marion boosted that lead back to three in the sixth.  Greg Phelps singled to start the inning and was moved to third on back-to-back sacrifice bunts.  Jared Barkdoll brought Phelps home with a single to center field.

But USC Aiken responded once again in the bottom of the sixth, scoring three runs to tie the game at five.  A Zach Cooper double scored Ben Tankersley; Cooper was then brought home on an RBI single from Marc Joehnk.  Joehnk then scored the third run of the inning on a Raborn sac fly.

Raborn was perfect on the day for the Pacers, finishing 3-for-3 with three runs scored and two RBIs.  Tankesley was 2-for-3 with a run while Eauches added two RBIs in his 1-for-3 day.  Gary Lee (2-3) got the win for USC Aiken after pitching the final 1 1/3 innings and allowing no runs on two hits.  USCA’s Jon Paul got the most work done with over five innings pitched and only one run allowed.

FMU’s Zach Farry (4-2) took the loss after allowing the final two runs of the game to score in the eighth.  Farry pitched the final three innings for the Patriots, giving up four hits and a walk.

:Aiken just wanted it a little more than us today,” said Francis Marion head coach Art Inabinet.  “It was back and forth.  They got momentum and we never got it back.”

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