ANNVILLE, PA -- Scott Haft (Jr., Jupiter, FL/Jupiter) drove a 3-1 pitch over the rightfield fence for a two run home run in the top of the tenth inning to lead Franklin & Marshall to a 5-3 victory over Lebanon Valley College in a non-conference baseball game.
The Flying Dutchmen took the lead in the first inning as leadoff hitter Dan Kelly singled and advanced to third base on a Jeff Grieiger double. Craig Denlinger lofted a sacrifice fly to score Kelly and move Greiger to third base before he scored on a ground out for a 2-0 lead.
Franklin & Marshall answered in the second inning as Corey Caruthers (So., Conestoga, PA/Penn Manor) knocked a one out single to left field and advanced to third base on Dan Hanecak's (So., Conestoga, PA/Lancaster Catholic) two out single. Both runners came across the plate as Eric Milavsky (So., Medford, PA/Shawnee) drove a two-out single to the outfield grass to knot the score at 2-2.
Lebanon Valley recaptured the lead in the bottom of the second inning as Ron Weaver reached on a one out double and moved to third base on Richard Schwartz's ground out to second base. Alex Morrison singled to drive in Weaver for a 3-2 LVC lead.
In the fourth inning, the Diplomats tied the game as Caruthers reached on an error by the third basemen and scored on a double by Jon Compitello (So., Yardley, PA/George School) to left center field as Franklin & Marshall tied the score at 3-3.
Neither team would score until the tenth inning as F&M starter Jeremy Knox (So., Bronx, NY/Iona Prep) and reliever Gordie Eck (Sr., Columbia, PA/Lancaster Catholic) shut down the Dutchmen, while LVC's Taylor Sgrignoli kept the Diplomats off the board to set up Haft's heroics in the tenth inning.
Rob Georgiou (Sr., Tappan, NY/Bergen Catholic) reached on a single to lead off the inning before Haft came to the plate and knocked a shot over the right field fence for the 5-3 advantage.
Eck picked up the win for the Diplomats going four scoreless innings with four hits and one walk in relief of Knox who threw six innings with three runs allowed on eight hits and one walk while striking out five batters.
Offensively for F&M, Caruthers went one-for-three with two runs scored, while Hanecak was two-for-four with one run scored.
Franklin & Marshall (22-17, 12-6 Centennial Conference) will return to action on April 27 at home versus Alvernia College. Game time is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.
