April 5, 2008

Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score

SWARTHMORE, Pa. - Franklin & Marshall and Swarthmore split a Centennial Conference (CC) double-header in a pair of decidedly different games on Saturday. Swarthmore ended F&M's five-game winning streak with a 3-1 win in the opener. The Diplomats (10-10, 5-2 CC) exacted their revenge on the Garnet (8-11, 2-5 CC), winning the nightcap 12-8.

F&M fell behind 3-1 through three innings during the day's second game, but the Diplomats exploded for seven runs in the top of the fourth to seize control of the contest. Six of the runs came with two outs on the board.

Jason Anderson led off the inning with a walk, then stole his way into scoring position. He made his way to third on a fly-out to right, and came home on a Rich Gallugi ground out to short. Bill Murray then doubled, followed by singles from Dan Farnsworth and Andrew Hanson with the latter scoring Murray to tie it at 3-3.

Matt Will then walked, reloading the bases and chasing Swat's starter Adam Koshkin. Mark Minutaglio brought two home with a single before Shea Moriarty plated Will. Anderson reached on an error in his second trip of the inning, scoring Minutaglio and getting Moriarty over to third.

Moriarty stole home to make it 8-3 in favor of F&M. His run was the last of the inning. Pat O'Reilly hit a two RBI single in the sixth to run the lead out to 10-3 before Swarthmore put three on the board in the bottom of the inning.

That ended F&M starter Brad Andres' (2-2) day. Andres surrendered six runs, but only two were earned. He struck out six. Tom Caramanico worked two scoreless innings allowing just one hit while fanning three. Anderson worked the ninth allowing a pair of runs.

Moriarty was 3-for-5 in the second game with three runs scored and one driven in. O'Reilly and Anderson each drove in two runs. Will drew three walks.

The first game was a classic pitcher duel between F&M's Matthew Metsch (1-1) and Swarthmore's Neil Mejia (4-2). Both worked the scheduled seven with Mejia limiting F&M to three hits while striking out four batters. F&M's first hit did not come until the fifth inning. Metsch scattered eight hits over the course of the 3-1 loss. All four of the game's runs were earned.

Swarthmore scored all three of its runs in the bottom of the sixth. A Wiley Archibald single through the right side scored two runs with one out. Archibald came home on a Thomas Nakamura sacrifice fly into right.

The last chance Diplomats rallied for a run with Anderson reaching on a single. He got over to third on O'Reilly's double, which doubled as F&M's last third and final hit of the game. Rich Gallugi hit a sacrifice fly to score Andreson. A pop-up to short ended the game.

F&M returns to action on Sunday against Haverford. The game is a make-up of yesterday's rain out. First pitch is set for 1:00 p.m.