The No. 13 North Georgia baseball team split a doubleheader at Francis Marion on Sunday in Florence, S.C.

The Saints (10-4, 3-2) jumped out to an early lead in the opener and held on for a 13-6 victory, while the Patriots (11-8, 3-5) fought back in game two and evened the series with a 10-1 blowout.

North Georgia starter Blake Hobby went eight innings in the opener and struck out six to earn his third win of the season, while the offense recorded 17 hits to knock out Francis Marion Don Sandifer (0-4).

Andrew Gordon hit a three-run home run and finished with three hits, while Terrell Jones finished with four hits for the Saints.

In the nightcap Francis Marion handed Saints starting pitcher Jesse Coxwell (3-1) his first loss, while Jeffrey Stoner (2-1) picked up the win for the hosts, taking a no-hitter into the sixth inning.

The Saints and Patriots will play the rubber game of the three-game series at 1 p.m. today at Cormell Field.