April 20, 2007

Box Score

GETTYSBURG, Pa. - Gettysburg turned the tables on Franklin & Marshall, handing the Diplomats a 7-1 Centennial Conference loss Friday afternoon at the Bullets' Kirchhoff Field. The Gettysburg win splits the season series with the home team dominating in each of the two meetings. F&M won 7-3 on the strength of 15 hits on Tuesday. Gettysburg used 11 hits for Friday's victory.

The Diplomats managed just a pair of hits off of Gettysburg starter Chris Liegel, who worked the full nine to improve to 7-0 on the season. The only F&M run scored was unearned. Mark Metsch allowed just three runs, two earned, and scattered eight hits in seven innings. He was saddled with the loss despite pitching well and falls to 5-2 on the year.

The Bullets jumped out in front in the second inning when shortstop Scott Vladyka led off the frame with a single. He stole his way into scoring position and was moved over to third by a Chase Straub single. A Sean McGee single scored Vladyka. Straub then became the winning run on a Mike Backus single into centerfield.

The Diplomts made it a 2-1 game in the top of the fourth. Pat O'Reilly made Gettysburg pay for the error that allowed the inning's first batter, Jeffrey Rowand, reach. O'Reilly's RBI single was F&M's final hit of the game.

Gettysburg blew the game open in the bottom of the seventh, battering three Diplomat pitchers for four runs on three hits and an error.

The Diplomats fell to 17-10 (11-3 CC), while Gettysburg improved to 19-6 (8-4 CC). F&M returns to action tomorrow at Caplan Field when it hosts Johns Hopkins for a pair.