April 17, 2007

Box Score

LANCASTER, Pa. - Franklin & Marshall scored seven runs on 15 hits to pick up a 7-3 win over Gettysburg in Centennial Conference baseball Tuesday afternoon. Jason Anderson (Westfield, NJ / Westfield) went 3-for-5 at the plate with three runs batted in for F&M, which tightened its grip on second place in the Centennial standings, moving four games out in front of Gettysburg. The Diplomats improved to 17-9 (11-2 CC) on the year, while Gettysburg fell to 18-6 (7-4 CC).

The Diplomats jumped on Gettysburg early scoring a pair of runs on four hits in the bottom of the first. Leadoff batter, Mark Minutaglio (Armonk, NY / Byram Hills) got on board with a single. Rich Gallugi (Peabody, MA / St. John's Prep) plated the Diplomats centerfielder three batters later. Gallugi added his second RBI of the afternoon in the fifth inning with a lead off home run straight into the steady wind that battered batted balls all afternoon.

O'Reilly followed Gallugi's single with the fourth and final hit of the inning, which snuck through the left side of the infield, to bring Jeffrey Rowand (York, PA / Dallastown) across. Rowand had reached on a fielder's choice. Despite entering the game with the highest average amongst everyday players, Rowand was the only Diplomat in the lineup who failed to pick up a hit on Tuesday.

Gettysburg responded in the bottom of the inning turning a Michael Donohue leadoff walk into a run. He was moved into scoring position by the second walk of the inning, which preceded the first out, a Scott Vladyka fly ball into right that put Donohue onto third. Chase Straub's single into leftfield gave Gettysburg its initial run before F&M's starter, Brad Andres (Belle Meade, NJ / Carroll) worked out of the jam.

The second inning was the only time Gettysburg got to Andres (4-2). He allowed five hits, struck as many and issued three walks in eight innings of work. The pair of Gettysburg runs in the eighth came on two errors.

Meanwhile, F&M provided their starter with plenty of insurance, scoring two runs in both the fourth and sixth innings. Anderson drove in two runs in the sixth with a double down the leftfield line. He had already singled into leftfield in the fourth to drive a run in.

O'Reilly also had three hits for F&M. Minutaglio, Gallugi, and Shea Moriarty (Wilton, CT / Wilton) each had a pair of hits for the Diplomats. Minutaglio touched home twice.

Donohue accounted for two of Gettysburg's five hits, scoring one run and driving another in. Straub also recorded a run and an RBI. Joe Bonyai and Sean McGee made up the balance of Bullet hits on the day.

The Diplomats return to action on Friday at Gettysburg.