April 11, 2008

Box Score

LANCASTER, Pa. - Matt Metsch worked his second complete game in as many starts, leading Franklin & Marshall to a 12-0 win over Centennial Conference (CC) foe, Washington College Friday afternoon. The win completed the Diplomats (13-10, 8-2 CC) regular season sweep of the Shoremen (5-11, 1-6 CC). F&M outscored Washington 27-4 in the pair this week.

Metsch struck out three and allowed six hits to move to 2-1 on the season. The complete game was the fifth full contest of his career as well as his second career shutout. Over his last 16 innings, the junior has allowed just three runs.

Metsch was the beneficiary of solid defense and bounces. Leftfielder Rich Gallugi and centerfielder Gordon Pellegrini each came up with diving catches in the left-center gap, while Metsch himself corralled a hot shot off of a hop off of the mound for an assist. Shortstop Tom Miller bailed out his third baseman on a hard hit ball that glanced off of Jason Anderson's leg to start the 5-6-3 putout.

The Diplomats starter was given plenty of run support with each of the first four F&M batters scoring in the bottom of the first.

Andrew Hanson, who went five-for-five with four doubles in Wednesday's meeting, started F&M's afternoon off with a double into the right-center gap. Mark Minutaglio filled the void at first base taking a pitch to the back. Shea Moriarty's single into center scored Hanson, before Anderson drove a pitch to the centerfield fence for a base-clearing triple. Rich Gallugi doubled to score Anderson giving F&M the 4-0 lead after one inning.

The Diplomats scored four more runs, all unearned, in the second inning. With bases loaded and a pair of outs on the board, Patrick O'Reilly reached on a throwing error by the Shoreman pitcher. The ball caromed off of the fence and rolled towards the Washington bullpen down the rightfield line, allowing O'Reilly to make his way to third, and the three runners ahead of him to score. O'Reilly came across on a Gallugi single.

Gallugi finished the game 4-for-4 with three RBIs. He beat out an infield single in the sixth to score Bill Murray. Hanson finished the game 3-for-4 with a pair of runs scored. His only appearance that failed to yield a hit was a line drive into rightfield in the sixth inning. That ended his streak of seven consecutive plate appearances with a hit. Five of the hits in that stretch were doubles.

Moriarty finished the game 1-for-2 with a pair of walks and runs scored to go with his RBI.

Washington used six different pitchers in the course of the ballgame. Starter, Joe Coveney was chased after one-and-two-thirds innings. He dropped to 1-1 on the year.

F&M returns to action on Saturday, weather willing, for a pair at Dickinson.