AMERICUS – Sixth-ranked Francis Marion University exploded for a dozen runs on 23 hits and the Patriots beat Georgia Southwestern 12-3 on Friday evening at Hurricane Stadium.
 
Francis Marion improves to 34-11 overall and 17-5 in the PBC, while the Hurricanes drop to 25-20 and 9-13. The two teams will conclude their three-game series on Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
 
The Patriots had eight players with multiple hits. Martin Gordon and Brock McCallister led the way with four hits apiece. Buddy Sosnoskie was 3-for-5 with a triple, one run scored, and two RBIs. Tyler Cappelmann went 3-for-5, as well.
 
Zach Whitman (4-5) was the Hurricane starter and he allowed six runs on 10 hits in 2 2/3 innings. Stephen Daneman pitched 2 1/3 innings of relief and allowed two runs on five hits. He struck out one and walked three. Corey Hawes threw the final four innings and gave up four runs - three earned - on eight hits while striking out two.
 
FMU starter Don Sandifer (10-2) allowed GSW's three runs in the seventh inning on five hits in that frame. He ended the game with three strikeouts and one walk. Patrick Mincey and Jeremy Knab each tossed a scoreless inning in relief to seal the win.
 
FMU took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second. Three consecutive one-out singles loaded the bases and Paulhus drove in the run with a groundout. In the next inning, the Patriots plated five runs to take a 6-0 advantage.  Sosnoskie plated the first run of the frame with a sacrifice fly. Cappelmann later drilled a two-run single followed by an RBI single from Paulhus and two batters later a bases-loaded walk from McCallister.
 
Francis Marion would add two runs in the fourth and three in sixth to go up 11-0 before GSW tallied its three runs in the bottom of the seventh behind four-consecutive singles. Corey Benson drove in two for the 'Canes and Paschal Poston added a sacrifice fly.
 
Andrew Archer led GSW at the plate with a 2-for-3 performance.