Box Score

FLORENCE, SC – The rubber game of a weekend series between 15th-ranked North Georgia and 9th-ranked Francis Marion was all about the Patriots as the Saints managed just two hits and fell 11-0 at Cormell Field on Sunday afternoon in Peach Belt Conference action.

North Georgia drops two of three in the weekend set, falling to 26-13 overall and 13-8 in the Peach Belt Conference, while the Patriots win the finale and improve to 31-9 overall and 12-6 in league action.

Barrett Kleinknecht was the story of the day for the Patriots, getting the job done on the mound and at the plate as the senior tossed 7.0 inning of one-hit ball, while striking out five and walking two for his fourth victory of the year. He was also stellar at the dish, going 4-for-4 with three runs scored to lead the offense.

The Saints’ only two base knocks came from the bats of Jordan Erisman and Andre Airich as the pair each tallied a hit, while the lineup struck out six times and walked three times.
 
The Patriots scored early and often in the finale, breaking out with a pair in the first, before adding four more in the second, two in the fifth, and three in the seventh for the 11-0 victory, and their second shutout in as many games.

James Wiley (4-1) suffered the loss for North Georgia, lasting just 1.1 innings and allowing five earned runs on six hits. Michael Patton came on in relief and allowing three runs on six hits, while Justin Yackee, Nick White, and Alex Simmons all saw work for the Saints out of the pen.

North Georgia will have a mid-week battle with Emory University on Tuesday evening, welcoming the Eagles to town for a single game set to start at 7:00 p.m. at Bob Stein Stadium.

The Saints will then hit the road for their third straight weekend road series, traveling to Augusta State for a PBC showdown against the Jaguars. The two squads will play a doubleheader on Saturday, followed by a single game on Sunday afternoon.