LANCASTER, PA -- Haverford College pitcher Nick Chanock went the distance allowing six Franklin & Marshall College batters to reach base on four hits, an error and a walk with seven strikeouts as the Fords shutout the Diplomats 4-0 in Centennial Conference baseball.
Chanock received all he needed to record the win in the first inning as leadoff hitter Brandon Mills walked and stole second base. F&M starting pitcher Scott Solomon (Sr., Birmingham, AL/Mountain Brook) induced a pop-up for the first out of the inning, but Rahul Munshi singled to drive in the winning run. Tim McLean was hit by a pitch to move Munshi to second base before Crispin Vary singled to drive in another run and move McLean to third base. Kenny McAlpine walked to load the bases after Vary stole second base and Solomon struck out Ben Einbinder. The F&M starter was able to work out of the bases loaded jam, however, as he K'd Dan Render looking to trail 2-0 after one inning of play.
Neither team would threaten again until the fifth inning as McLean walked and stole second base before Einbinder drove a two-out RBI double to the outfield grass to push the lead to 3-0 and drive Solomon from the game and bring in reliever Jeremy Knox (So., Bronx, NY/Iona Prep) who got McAlpine to ground out to end the inning.
Franklin & Marshall threatened to score in the bottom of the fifth as Gary Kruger (So., East Islip, NY/East Islip) walked and stole second base. With one out, Corey Caruthers (So., Conestoga, PA/Penn Manor) reached on a fielding error and stole second as part of a double steal with Kruger to put runners on second and third. However, Chanock fanned Dan Hanecak (So., Conestoga, PA/Lancaster Catholic) and Eric Milavsky (So., Medford, NJ/Shawnee) to end the inning.
In the sixth, Chris Smith (So., Fairfax Station, VA/Robinson) doubled and advanced to third on a ground out by Rob Georgiou (Sr., Tappan, NY/Bergen Catholic) to put another runner on third base with less than two outs. However, Gordie Eck (Sr., Columbia, PA/Lancaster Catholic) grounded out to shortstop Jonas Clark who looked Kruger back to third to prevent the run before getting the out and Dan Weber (Sr., Reading, PA/Governor Mifflin) popped up to end the inning.
The Diplomats threatened again in the seventh by putting a runner on third with less than two outs as Scott Haft (Jr., Jupiter, FL/Jupiter) doubled to the fence with one out and advanced to third as Caruthers singled to put runners on the corners.
Chanock caught a break as Caruthers was caught stealing at second base before Hanecak popped up to third base to end the Diplomats last scoring chance.
Haverford tacked on another run in the eighth inning as Einbinder doubled and McAlpine singled to drive him in for the 4-0 final.
Overall, Einbinder led the way for the Fords at the plate as he went two-for-four with a pair of doubles, a run scored and a RBI.
On the mound, Solomon went 4.2 innings allowing three earned runs on four hits with four strikeouts and four walks to fall to 5-1 on the season. Knox went 4.1 innings permitting a run on four hits with three strikeouts and two walks.
At the plate for F&M, Haft went two-for-three as the Diplomats slugged four hits.
Franklin & Marshall (16-12, 8-4 Centennial Conference) will return to action on April 16 at Haverford in the second half of the home-and-home series. Game time is set for 3:30 p.m.
