Diplomats Turn Back Navy

Agate

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - #11 Franklin & Marshall got wins from the second and third positions, as well as each of the final three spots on the ladder to secure a 5-4 over #13 Navy at the Halsey Field House Wednesday night. The Diplomats (14-5) win ends a two-match slide against the Middies (26-6), which is enjoying more wins in a season than any their program's history, and marks F&M's 15^th win in the series' history.

The 14^th win of the season marks F&M's best campaign since the 1996-1997 team went 16-7.

No. 2 Gabriel de Melo (10-2) and No. 3 Sadiq Madraswala (11-4) did the damage at on the top half of the lineup. de Melo went to five games with 78^th-ranked Ben Mantica (22-6), earning an 8-10, 9-2, 9-2, 5-9, 9-1 win for F&M. Madraswala needed only three games to secure his win, marking his tenth 3-0 sweep of the season.

No. 7 Zarir Aibara (11-7) and No. 9 Patrick Pasquariello (11-7) each won their matches in four. Aibara won 3-9, 9-6, 9-3, 9-6 over Christopher Zipf (22-6), while Pasquariello pitched a shutout in the fourth game for the 9-3, 5-9, 9-4, 9-0 win over Will Pappas. Pasquariello's win was the 45^th in his career.

No. 8 Ben Lurio (13-6) allowed just 11 points in his 3-0 win over Tommy McNamara (23-5).

The No. 1 position pitted a pair of top 50 players with #49 Nils Mattsson (20-6) making short work of #40 Nadav Tannen (13-5), 9-0, 9-6, 9-5.

The Diplomats are idle until next week's CSA Team Championships.