Fry, Pacers Advance into NCAA Regional Championship Round
AIKEN, S.C. – Senior right-hander Justin Fry pitched a
near complete game allowing only two runs and three hits to lift
fifth-ranked and top-seeded USC Aiken to a 7-2 win over
seventh-ranked and second-seeded Francis Marion University on
Saturday night in an elimination game at the NCAA Division II
Southeast Regional Baseball Tournament.
USCA (42-18) advances forward to play unbeaten (in tournament play)
and sixth-seeded Belmont Abbey College in Sunday’s
championship game at 11 a.m. In the championship round of the 2009
NCAA Division II Southeast Region a second championship game would
be played if USCA wins that 11 a.m. contest.
The Pacers will be playing in their second consecutive NCAA
Regional championship round. They will be vying to make their first
NCAA Division II College World Series appearance since 1993.
Francis Marion, which had its 17-game winning streak snapped
earlier in the day by Belmont Abbey, ends its season at 38-15-1,
the second-most wins in program history.
Fry (4-3) scattered the three hits in his 8.1 innings on the hill.
He threw 178 pitches, struck out seven and walked seven. FMU
stranded 12 runners, including leaving the bases loaded twice.
Francis Marion’s Barrett Kleinknecht (1-3) made his first
start of the year and pitched a complete game, allowing nine hits
and five earned runs in his eight innings. He tossed 120 pitches
and struck out three.
Pacer right fielder Alex Franklin was the lone player in the
contest with multiple hits as he went 2-for-5.
A solo homer to left by freshman outfielder Tyler Boyd gave Francis
Marion a 1-0 cushion in the top of the third inning. The Patriots
would go on to load the bases with no outs, but Fry struck out
Jared Barkdoll and got Jacob Wallace and Keon Graves to pop out to
strand the three base runners.
The Pacers responded with two runs in the bottom of the frame.
Franklin plated the first run with an RBI groundout and second
baseman Ken Raborn followed with a run-scoring single through the
left side.
Frye and Kleinknecht matched zeros through the next two frames
before USCA scored two unearned runs in the sixth to lead 4-1. An
infield error helped lead to an RBI double by Jamie Benjamin and a
second error allowed the fourth Pacer run to score.
USCA’s Nick Aranas added a solo homer and catcher John
Sherrer hit a two-run shot in the eighth.
The Patriots plated one run in the ninth on a bases-loaded walk to
Kleinknecht.
The game featured several outstanding defensive plays as
centerfielders Martin Gordon (FMU) and Cody McMorris (USCA) traded
leaping catches at the center field wall and Franklin made a great
diving catch along the right field line.
Francis Marion Head Coach Art Inabinet –
“I think Justin Fry was the difference in the game tonight.
He just flat out stuffed us tonight. We had our shot at in third,
bases loaded, nobody out. We were trying to take anything awa;
walk, sacrifice fly, and we couldn’t do it.”
“Anytime you lose a game to end the season, it’s not
good. But reflecting back on the entire season, I thought we did a
great job. We won first ever Peach Belt Conference (Tournament)
Championship in school history. And obviously we wish tonight had
turned out better, but like I told them (Francis Marion players),
there are six teams in this tournament and five are going home.
Unfortunately we are one of those five.”
About Seniors – “Our seniors this year were
the corner stone of the program. Jared Barkdoll, Keon Graves, David
Walters, and I want to thank them for all help and accomplishments
at helping us win our first ever Peach Belt Conference (Tournament)
championship and getting us into this point of the
season.”
“We made 3 mistakes that cost us. Hit a batter and let them
get 4 runs there early.”
“Barrett Kleinknecht is a guy that we either want at the
plate or the mound with the game on the line. It just so happened,
though he played well up until last the inning. But I felt he was
still our best option at that point but Aiken just put it out of
reach.”
USC Aiken Head Coach Kenny Thomas –
“It’s great, we had two great pitching performances
today, amazing really. Clayton Knight came out and pitched the
first game like he did after being injured three weeks ago and
Justin Fry really hasn’t pitch a lot lately. He (Fry) just
pitched on guts there at the end, he was exhausted. He pitched his
heart out. Today was a tough day, and we have another tough day
tomorrow. I’m very proud of those two guys. Absolutely
unbelievable.”