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SEGUIN, TX – Franklin & Marshall College third baseman Gary Kruger (Sr., East Islip, NY/East Islip), centerfielder Eric Milavsky (Sr., Medford, NJ/Shawnee) and catcher Billy McGuire (Jr., Chappaqua, NY/Horace Greeley) homered to lead the Diplomats to a 12-3 win at #11 nationally ranked Texas Lutheran at Katt-Isbel Field. Kruger led the Diplomats in the game going five-for-five with two runs scored and three RBIs as he launched a two run homer in a three run seventh inning as the Diplomats rallied from an early 3-1 deficit to take the win. The Bulldogs struck in the bottom of the second inning as Texas Lutheran strung together a run on two errors and a hit batsman to take the lead. F&M tied the game in the top of the third as McGuire was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and advanced to second on a single by Milavsky. The runners moved up on a wild pitch and Rob Stern (So., Franklin Lakes, NJ/Indian Hills) lofted a sacrifice fly to centerfield to score McGuire. Texas Lutheran responded in the bottom of the inning as Casey Rehfold singled, but was cut down on a fielders choice at second base to put Jacob Kaase on first with one out. Aaron Crais then hit a homer to score Kaase for a 3-1 lead. The Bulldogs continued to threaten in the inning as Texas Lutheran put runners on the corners with two outs, but F&M starting pitcher Jeff Rowand (Jr., York, PA/Dallastown) worked out of the jam getting Josh Moreno to pop up to end the inning. Franklin & Marshall tied the game in the fifth inning as Tom Miller (So., York, PA/Central York) and Stern singled to bring Pat O’Reilly (So., Mt. Laurel, NJ/Mt. Laurel) to the plate who doubled to score Miller, move Stern to third base and force TLU starter Brian Wallace from the game. Facing reliever Scott Harris, Kruger singled to score Stern and tie the score. Facing runners on the corners with one out, Harris ended the inning by getting Corey Caruthers (Sr., Conestoga, PA/Penn Manor) to hit into a 5-4-3 double play to keep the score tied at 3-3. Rowand ended his day of work in the fifth by allowing one hit and getting a 6-4-3 double play to keep the game tied before handing it over to relievers Matthew Metsch (Fr., East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick) and Dan Tischler (So., New York, NY/Horace Mann) who collared the Bulldogs the rest of the way allowing five hits and one walk. F&M plated the winning run in the seventh as Miller reached and advanced to second on an error by TLU third baseman Brett Cannon. Milavsky drove him in with an RBI single before Kruger hit his homerun off Harris with two outs to put the Diplomats in front 6-3. Facing reliever Brad Wesson in the eighth, the Diplomats struck for three more runs with two outs as McGuire hit a solo homer, Miller walked and Milavsky launched a two run bomb for a 9-3 lead. In the ninth the Diplomats closed out the scoring as O’Reilly singled and Kruger doubled to put runners on second and third to lead off the inning against reliever Michael Turnbell. Caruthers walked to load the bases and Dan Hanecak (Sr., Conestoga, PA/Lancaster Catholic) singled to drive in O’Reilly and Kruger for an 11-3 lead. Facing reliever Justin Murdock, pinch-hitter Jon Compitello (Sr., Yardley, PA/George School) grounded out to score Caruthers for the 12-3 final. Metsch earned the win for the Diplomats going three innings with four hits and one walk allowed with three strikeouts, while Harris took the loss allowing three runs on three hits in 2.2 innings of work. The win marked the team’s second over a nationally ranked opponent this year as the Diplomats handled #7 Alvernia College 11-1 on March 8 in Reading. Franklin & Marshall (3-3, 0-0 Centennial Conference) will continue the season on March 14 at Mary Hardin-Baylor. Game time is set for 2:00 p.m.
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