Edgin Blanks Tusculum as Francis Marion Wins 5-0 in NCAA Regional Opener
AIKEN, SC – Junior left-hander Josh Edgin tossed a two-hit
shutout to give seventh-ranked and second-seeded Francis Marion
University a 5-0 win over 30th-ranked and fifth-seeded Tusculum
College, Thursday afternoon (May 14) in the opening round of the
NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Baseball Tournament.
Francis Marion improves to 37-13-1 with its 16th straight win and
advances to face 21st-ranked and fourth-seeded Catawba College on
Friday at 7 p.m. Catawba beat Georgia College & State
University 7-5 in Thursday’s opener. Tusculum (36-17) will
face the USC Aiken/Belmont Abbey College loser on Friday at 11
a.m.
The 37 wins is the second-highest season total for Francis
Marion.
Edgin (4-2) retired 13 consecutive batters through the middle
innings while the Patriots finally dented the scoreboard, scoring
three times in the fourth and twice in the fifth frame. The 6-2,
225-pound native of Three Springs, Pa., struck out six and walked
only one batter. He needed only 94 pitches in the game that lasted
only 2:01.
He allowed singles in the third and seventh innings and no Pioneer
runner reached third base. Including his streak in the middle
innings, he retired 21 of the final 22 Tusculum batters.
FMU junior outfielders Martin Gordon and Alex Lee were both
2-for-4 at the top of the FMU lineup, while freshman left fielder
Tyler Boyd was 2-for-4 in the No.9 spot.
In the fourth inning, Patriot catcher Jared Barkdoll walked to
lead off the inning. Following an infield error and a sacrifice
bunt, FMU had runners on second and third. Sophomore first baseman
Preston Shuey plated the game’s first run with a sacrifice
fly to right center field. Jacob Wallace scored Francis
Marion’s second run when he scored from second on a single
through the right side by Josh Biggers. On the play, the throw from
Tusculum right fielder Jared Richmond beat Wallace to the plate,
but Tusculum catcher Sean Finucane dropped the ball when Wallace
collided with him at the plate. Biggers scored the third run on an
RBI double down the left field line by Boyd.
The Patriots tallied a pair of runs in the fifth to lead 5-0. Lee
dropped a double onto the left field line to lead off the frame.
One batter later, he scored on a hit-and-run single through the
left side by Barkdoll, the school’s all-time RBI leader.
Kleinknecht scored the second run on an RBI fielder’s choice
grounder by Wallace.
Richmond and second baseman Payden Houser had the two Tusculum
hits. Senior righty Max Keleher (7-3) was tagged with the loss as
he allowed seven hits and the five runs, although only one of the
runs was earned.
Boxscore
Tusculum Head Coach Doug Jones – “I
think, you just have to tip your hat to (Josh) Edgin, the game he
threw and the command he showed for the entire game was impressive.
I think that was the difference in the game.”
“When we had an opportunity to get a guy in scoring, we
popped up and wasted those opportunities.”
“The difference was the command and the job he (Edgin)
did.”
“Frankly, we looked like we hadn’t played in two
weeks, offense was slow with the bats,
and the defense made three errors, gave up five runs and only one
of those was earned.”
On Pitcher Maz Keleher - “I thought he battled
really well there early in the game, the only issue I had with him
was the lead off walk to start the 4th inning, that really was the
only thing real negative I had with him, and we couldn’t make
a couple plays behind him, and good teams like Francis Marion take
advantage of that.”
“He (Keleher) gave us a chance, as did Michael Franklin who
came in and gave us a chance to get things going
offensively.”
Tomorrow’s Situation – “Everybody will
play like it’s an elimination game, which it is, and we wont
take very long to make switches and go to the bull pen. I
don’t know who will throw tomorrow, we’re going to
watch the game tonight to see who we will pitch. C.J. Hillyer or
Boo Morrow will be our two choices.”
Francis Marion Head Coach Art Inabinet –
“Well I thought Josh Edgin was dominant today, I don’t
think he walked but 1 hitter, and anytime you walk just one batter,
you give yourself the chance to not only win the game, but do what
he did today.”
“We played less than a week ago, that gave hitters a chance
to see live pitches, and pitchers to see live batters, they were
sharp.
“Wouldn’t surprise me to see them (Tusculum) get
better as the tournament moves along.”
On Catawba – “We watched them a bit, but have
not played them this year. But we’re more concerned with the
things we do, than any of our opponents.”
Improvements for tomorrow – “We have to do a
little bit better job of getting guys in scoring position, we left
several on base today. Stats say seven, but it felt more like 12 or
15.”
FMU Pitcher Josh Edgin – “I felt
like I just needed to get the ball over the plate, and my defense
would make plays. Ground ball or pop up, and that’s what
happened.”
Playing here last week – “I like the mound, I
feel that, having that earlier championship game, made me feel
comfortable, and since we had played here, I was comfortable with
my team and the field.”