|
SAN ANTONIO, TX – Franklin & Marshall College starting pitcher Jeremy Knox (Sr., Bronx, NY/Iona Prep) went seven innings allowing three runs on five hits with three strikeouts to earn the win in a 7-5 victory as the Diplomats split a doubleheader at Trinity University. Following a 6-1 win in game one, Trinity (9-5) put two runs across the plate in the bottom of the first inning of game two against Knox as Johnny Baugus led off the inning with a homerun to left field. Ryan Cavan followed with a single and advanced to third on a pair of throwing errors before scored on a ground out by Bobby Zabor for a 2-0 lead. Franklin & Marshall (2-2, 0-0 Centennial Conference) took the lead in the top of the second as Corey Caruthers (Sr., Conestoga, PA/Penn Manor) led off the inning with a double to right centerfield and advanced to third base on a fly out by Rich Gallugi (So., Peabody, MA/St. John’s Prep). Eric Milavsky (Sr., Medford, NJ/Shawnee) was hit by a pitch and stole second base to put a pair of runners in scoring position before Billy McGuire (Jr., Chappaqua, NY/Horace Greeley) singled to left centerfield to plate Caruthers and move Milavsky to third base. Following a fly out, Rob Stern (So., Franklin Lakes, NJ/Indian Hills) walked and moved to second on a wild pitch by Trinity starting pitcher Chuck Huggins as McGuire advanced to third and Milavsky scored to tie the game. McGuire later scored on a wild pitch and Dan Hanecak (Sr., Conestoga, PA/Lancaster Catholic) walked to put runners on first and third with two outs. Pat O’Reilly (So., Mt. Laurel, NJ/Lenape) was hit by a pitch to load the bases, but Huggins was lifted after 1.2 innings of work for reliever Britton Horn who retired the first batter he faced to end the inning. Trinity tied the score in the bottom of the inning as Will Becker homered to centerfield with two outs, as neither team would score again until the top of the sixth inning. F&M plated two runs in the sixth as Tom Miller (So., York, PA/Central York) doubled to right centerfield and Stern laid down a bunt to put runners on first and second with no outs. Horn was lifted for reliever John Allen who walked Hanecak to load the bases. O’Reilly hit a ball to Cavan at shortstop who misplayed the ball allowing Stern and Miller to score for a 5-3 lead with no outs. Allen settled down fanning the next two batters and inducing a pop-up to end the inning The Diplomats pushed their lead to four runs in the top of the seventh as Milavsky doubled to right centerfield to lead off the inning. Following a strikeout, Miller walked to put runners on first and second before Milavsky and Miller stole third and second, respectively, on a double-steal. Allen got a strikeout for the second out of the inning, but Hanecak lined a pitch down the right field for a double, two RBIs and a 7-3 F&M lead. Trinity responded in the bottom of the inning with a pair of runs as Jordan Pennington doubled to left centerfield, Nick Vera reached on a fielding error to allow Pennington to move to third base and Becker doubled to left centerfield to drive in Pennington and Vera to slice the Diplomats lead to 7-5. Franklin & Marshall’s bullpen finished out the game as Matt Kalos (So., Melrose Park, PA/Cheltenham) retired the Tigers in the eighth and Jeff Rowand (Jr., York, PA/Dallastown) worked the ninth getting a pair of fly outs and struck out Becker swinging to end the game and earn a save. Overall, the Diplomats stranded 13 base runners in the game, while the Tigers left three men on base. The win raises Knox’s record to 2-0 on the season with a 1.93 ERA and nine strikeouts in 14 innings of work. In game one, Trinity used pairs of runs in the first, sixth and seventh innings to down the Diplomats 6-1 in a three-hitter by Tigers’ starting pitcher Brian Oates. Franklin & Marshall went on top 1-0 in the top of the first inning as Stern walked, stole second base and scored on a double to right field by O’Reilly. The Tigers took the lead in the bottom of the inning as Trinity strung together a pair of singles to left field, a walk and three stolen bases to go ahead 2-1. In the sixth, Becker doubled to leftfield and Vera homered to leftfield for a 4-1 lead before tacking on a pair of insurance runs in the seventh for the 6-1 final. On the mound, Oates picked up the win going nine innings with three hits and two walks allowed while fanning nine batters. F&M starting pitcher Ted Serro (Sr., Brooklyn, NY/Xavier) took the loss allowing four runs on six hits and four walks with four strikeouts in six innings. Dan Tischler (So., New York, NY/Horace Greeley) let up two runs on three hits and a walk, while Matthew Metsch (Fr., East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick) finished the game with one inning of hitless relief. Franklin & Marshall (2-2, 0-0 Centennial Conference) will continue the season at Trinity on March 12 in a single game. Game time is set for 1:00 p.m.
|
