GREENWOOD - Barrett Kleinknecht hit two of Francis Marion's five home runs as the 14th-ranked Patriots defeated the Lander Bearcats 9-2 in the Peach Belt Conference series opener Friday night at Legion Field.
Francis Marion (26-8, 15-5 PBC) and Lander (19-12, 4-9) complete their series with a double-header at 1 o'clock on Saturday.
Josh Smith, Trent Knight and Alex Lee also hit home runs for the Patriots.
Francis Marion took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Tyler Cappelmann singled and scored on Kleinknecht's double into the left-field corner.
The Patriots added two runs in the second when Smith hit a leadoff homer over the right-field fence and Knight followed with a home run over the left field fence. It was Smith's second homer of the season and Knight's fourth.
Kleinknecht belted Francis Marion's third homer of the game with a leadoff shot over the left-field fence, making it 4-0 in the third.
Patriots pitcher Josh Edgin carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning, but Devin Ridlehoover broke up the bid with a one-out line drive single up the middle and Michael Vesnesky followed with a double off the fence in center. The Bearcats then ended Edgin's shutout bid as Hunter Dowis's bunt single plated Ridlehoover, and Aaron Fludd followed with a sacrifice fly to center to score Vesnesky, pulling Lander within 4-2.
Francis Marion broke the game open with three runs in the top of the sixth. Knight and Logan Bland singled, Josh Biggers hit an RBI ground out, and Knight scored all the way from second on a wild pitch. Lee capped the inning with the team's fourth homer of the game, a shot down the left-field line over the fence. It was Lee's fifth homer of the year.
Lander loaded the bases with one out in the eighth when Fludd walked and Robert Skinner and Pete Hernandez singled. But Edgin got out of the jam.
The Patriots added two runs in the ninth on Kleinknecht's second homer of the game, a two-run shot over the fence in center, giving him nine homers on the season.
Edgin (6-2) got the win, allowing two runs on seven hits in eight-plus innings, striking out eight and walking two. Erik Sommerville entered the game after Ridlehoover hit a leadoff single in the ninth and retired the side in order.
Cory Hopper (3-2) took the loss for Lander, allowing seven earned runs on nine hits while striking out four and walking one in 5.2 innings. Derek Whaley pitched 2.1 innings of scoreless relief while Ross Davis allowed two runs in the ninth.
Leading hitters for Francis Marion were Kleinknecht, 3-for-5 with two homers, two runs scored and three RBI; Knight, 2-for-4, a homer and two runs; Smith, 2-for-4 with a home run; and Cappelman, 2-for-5.
Ridlehoover was Lander's leading hitter, going 2-for-4.
