COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – Franklin & Marshall worked itself out of a bases loaded ninth to secure a 5-4 victory over Ursinus in Centennial Conference (CC) baseball action Wednesday afternoon. The Diplomats improved to 13-11, 5-2 CC while the Bears fell to 6-13, 2-5 CC.
 
Kevin Shields paced the Diplomats with a 2-for-4 performance from the plate and two RBIs. Eric Bornstein, Mike Amabile and Connor Devlin all knocked in a run for F&M.
 
F&M struck first, scoring two runs in the top of the first. Amabile's single to centerfield plated J.T. Triantos and Shields hit a single down the leftfield line to score Russell Tischler. In the bottom of the frame, Ursinus answered as Ben Gresh had a RBI single to left scoring Rob Vogt for a 2-1 score.
 
The Bears knotted the game at two in the third when Josh Schnell hit a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Vogt with two outs.
 
F&M got two back in the fifth to go up 4-2. Triantos started the inning off with a single to centerfield and quickly moved to second on a wild pitch. He stole third a batter later and was brought home by a double from Bornstein. Shields hit a two-out single to leftfield that scored Bornstein.

Ursinus added one in the sixth when Rich Guthridge scored on a sacrifice by Garrett Smith.
 
In the seventh, F&M tacked on what turned out to be an insurance run as pinch hitter Connor Devlin had a RBI single that scored Bornstein with two outs.

Ursinus got one run in the bottom of the ninth when Danny Ludwig hit into a fielder's choice that scored Gresh with two outs. Brendan McCreary enter the game and two batters later got out of the bases loaded jam to pick up the save.
 
 
On the mound, Mike Duranti picked up the win as he went six innings, allowing three runs. He improved to 3-2. McCreary faced two batters to pick up his second save of the season. Nate Schnell took the loss, falling to 0-2. He went six innings, striking out three and walking two.
 
F&M will face Ursinus again in Lancaster on Friday at 3:30 p.m., weather permitting.
 
Franklin & Marshall 5, Ursinus 4 (Apr 06, 2011 at Collegeville, Pa.)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Franklin & Marshall. 200 020 100  -  5  9  1      (13-11, 5-2 CC)
Ursinus............. 101 001 001  -  4 10  1      (6-13, 2-5 CC)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pitchers: Franklin & Marshall - Mike Duranti; Evan Lang(7); Brendan McCreary(9) and . Ursinus - N. Schnell; C. Ryder(7) and .
Win-Mike Duranti(3-2)  Save-Brendan McCreary(2)  Loss-N. Schnell(0-2)