Box Score ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. – Back-to-back home runs from David Iacobucci and Mike Smeriglio in the top of the fourth propelled Franklin & Marshall's baseball team to a 4-1 victory against Elizabethtown (6-4) on Tuesday afternoon. The win was the first over the Blue Jays since the 2009 season, breaking a five-game winless streak and improving the Diplomats to 2-3 on the year.
Closer Andrew Mascis pitched a scoreless ninth to record the 10th save of his career, tying him for first on the program's all-time list with Dan Tischler '08.
Neither team generated much offense until the fourth when Iacobucci stepped to the plate and led off by sending a 3-1 pitch over the fence in left field. Smeriglio came up next and swung on the second offering, matching Iacobucci with another home run, this time to right field.
The 2-0 advantage remained until the seventh when F&M tacked on with another set of runs. Catcher Christopher Vincent led off with a double to center field. Brett Poniros followed with an RBI single before Smeriglio came up to the dish with the bases loaded later in the frame and smacked a single to left field that plated Casey Bulik from third.
Elizabethtown cut the deficit to three with a two-out triple in the bottom of the eighth that scored a runner from second, but the Blue Jays were retired in the next at-bat to end the threat.
Starting pitcher Mike Androconis (1-1) was solid on the mound, tossing five scoreless innings and surrendering only one hit while striking out three. Mack Glavin entered in relief and went three innings, allowing just one earned on three hits.
Smeriglio tallied a 2-for-4 line with two RBIs while Matt Mezansky (2-for-4) and Luke Seib (2-for-3) also notched a pair of the Diplomats' 11 hits on the day. F&M swiped four bases and was led by Seib, who registered two steals.
The Diplomats return to non-conference competition on Thursday, traveling to Catholic for a 3:00 p.m. game.
