LANCASTER, Pa. -- Franklin & Marshall fell 34-4 to Army in Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) action Saturday evening at the Mayser Center. The match was the season opener for both squads as the Diplomats dropped to 0-1 while the Black Knights went to 1-0. 

Richard Durso picked up the lone win for the Diplomats at 141. Durso jumped out to an early 2-1 edge in the first before adding three more in the second period for a 5-1 advantage.  The junior added five back points in the final stanza and picked up one more for riding time to come away with the 11-1 major decision. 

Jason Bing started the match off with a tough 6-5 setback in the opening 125 bout. Bing, wrestling in his first Division I contest, found himself in an early 6-2 hole after two periods of action. Bing stepped up in the third with an escape and a takedown to make it 6-5, but ultimately ran out of time.  

Robert Ruiz fell 7-3 at 133 as Army jumped out to an early 6-0 advantage. Durso's major made in 6-4, setting up an exciting battle at 149. Sharron Townsend, seeing action for the first time in over a year, dropped a heartbreaking 8-7 decision to Ryan Bilyeu. Townsend started out with an early 3-1 lead, but Bilyeu cut the deficit to 5-4 heading into the third period.  Bilyeu added two takedowns in period three while Townsend escaped both times for the 8-7 final. 

The Black Knights picked up 13 points over the next three bouts with two majors bookending a fall at 165 to make it 23-4. Paul Alessandrini jumped out to early 2-0 lead at 184 and increased it to 4-2 through the first two periods, but a 4-1 third period for Army and a riding time point for the Black Knights proved to be the difference in 7-5 decision. 

Army picked up a technical fall at 197 and came away with a 3-1 win at 285 for the 34-4 final. 

F&M returns to action next Saturday when the Diplomats travel to Ursinus for the Fall Brawl.