Meiners pitches #8 Patriots past Newberry 7-1

FLORENCE, SC – Senior left-hander Jeremiah Meiners allowed one run on four hits over seven innings and senior shortstop Barrett Kleinknecht had three hits and scored twice to lead eighth-ranked Francis Marion University to a 7-1 non-conference win over Newberry College, Wednesday evening (April 14) in college baseball action.

Francis Marion (33-9) wins for the ninth time in its past 10 games, while dropping Newberry to 13-30.  The Patriots will play a key three-game Peach Belt Conference series at 21st-ranked UNC Pembroke this weekend, beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Meiners (5-1) allowed a first-inning run on a two-out walk, a wild pitch, and double just inside the third-base bag off an 0-2 pitch, but then settled down.  He struck out four and walked three. 

FMU senior outfielders Alex Lee and Josh Smith both entered the game as pinch hitters and eventually went 2-for-2 while driving in one run apiece.

Newberry southpaw Chauncey Mattei (0-3) allowed four runs (two earned) in four innings and was tagged with the loss.

FMU’s Tyler Trio all contributed to the win.  Sophomore left fielder Tyler Boyd was 1-for-4 with a run scored, while junior third baseman Tyler Cappelmann was 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI and also pitched a scoreless ninth inning.  Junior righty Tyler Lehman also pitched a scoreless inning.

Infielders Chris Love and Scott Horvath were both 2-for-4 at the plate for Newberry.  It was Love’s double that drove in the lone Newberry run in the first inning.

After Newberry took the 1-0 lead, FMU quickly tied the game on a triple by Trent Knight and a long sacrifice fly by Cappelmann in the second inning.  The Patriots then scored three times each in the fifth and sixth frames.

#8 Francis Marion Univ. 7, Newberry College 1 (Apr 14, 2010 at Florence, SC)
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Newberry College.... 100 000 000  -  1  6  1      (13-30)
Francis Marion Univ. 010 033 00X  -  7 13  0      (33-9)
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Pitchers: Newberry College - Chauncey Mattei; Matt Mege(5); Gary Hersey(6); Kyle Christian(7).
Francis Marion Univ. - Jeremiah Meiners; Tyler Lehman(8); Tyler Cappelmann(9).
Win-Jeremiah Meiners (5-1)  Loss-Chauncey Mattei (0-3)  T-2:41  A-177
C. Mattei faced 3 batters in the 5th.