GREENWOOD----Francis Marion University's Greg Phelps and Nick Stewart combined to go 8-for-10 with five runs and three RBI Thursday night to lead the Patriots to a 13-3 Peach Belt Conference baseball victory over Lander at Legion Field.
FMU improves to 34-15 overall and 17-11 in the PBC, while Lander drops to 19-33, 8-20. The two teams will complete their three-game series with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. Friday.
FMU's Cory Deering (4-0) earned the victory as he struck out seven, walked three and allowed two runs on seven hits in seven complete innings of work. Lander's Justin Altman (4-5) suffered the loss as he struck out one, walked two and allowed six runs (five earned) on seven hits in 5.2 innings.
FMU sprinted out to a 5-0 lead in the first inning keyed by Ryan Hypke's three-run homer over the left field fence. Jared Barkdoll gave the Patriots a 1-0 lead when he scored on Michael Ward's RBI double to center field then Ward made it 2-0 on Stewart's single to right field.
Lander cut the Patriot lead to 5-1 in the bottom of the inning when Brendan O'Connor tripled to left center then scored on Jesse Barbaro's RBI single to center field.
The Patriots stretched their lead to 6-1 in the sixth inning when Phelps singled to center, stole second, then scored on a throwing error.
The Patriots rallied for four runs in the seventh inning to take a 10-1 lead. Taylor Norfleet singled to right field, advanced to second on Stewart's single to left, then Hypke walked to load the bases with no outs. Norfleet scored on Phelps' RBI single, then Hypke and Stewart crossed the plate on Kennamer's double down the right field line. Phelps later scored an unearned run on a Lander throwing error.
Lander made it 10-2 in the bottom of the seventh when T.J. Guinan scored on O'Connor's RBI triple.
Stewart's lead-off homer in the eighth gave FMU an 11-2 lead.
For Lander, O'Connor went 3-for-4 with two triples, one run scored and one RBI; Gabe McCann went 1-for-4 with one triple and one run scored and Guinan was 1-for-3 with one run scored.
For FMU, Stewart was 3-for-5 with one home run, three runs scored and two RBI; Phelps went 5-for-5 with two runs and one RBI; Derek Kennamer went 1-for-6 with one double and two RBI; and Ward went 2-for-5 with one double, one run and one RBI.
