Box Score

AUBURNDALE, Fla. – Franklin & Marshall's baseball team dropped a tight 5-3 game to Ramapo on Thursday evening during the team's Spring Break trip in Florida. 

The non-conference defeat moved the Diplomats to 4-4-1 on the year while the Roadrunners improved to 6-4.

Ramapo delivered a steady dose of offense in the early going, tallying the first run of the game in the top of the first off of a walk, a passed ball, and a miscue from F&M's outfield to garner the 1-0 edge. 

In the second, the Roadrunners made it 2-0 after reaching base on the Diplomats' second error of the game. Ramapo advanced a runner to third on a wild pitch and followed with an RBI single. F&M answered in the bottom of the third. Justin Cavegn led off with a double to left center and eventually crossed home plate thanks to a Kengo Kawahara RBI single to pull within one. 

However, the Roadrunners tacked on with two runs off a pair of walks and two singles in the top of the fourth to extend the advantage to 5-1. The Diplomats chipped at the deficit with a Kawahara RBI double in the bottom of the fifth, while also striking with a run in the bottom of the seventh when Dan Baroff crossed home. However, F&M was unable to generate baserunners in the final two frames. 

Freshman Matt Devlin (0-1) earned his first-career start, tossing 4 1/3 innings and allowing two earned on five hits for the loss. Relievers Don DiLoreto and Jared Schott were reliable out of the bullpen, combining for 4 2/3 innings and allowing zero earned runs and just two total hits. DiLoreto struck out five batters in only 3 2/3 frames, while Schott fanned a pair in his one inning of work. 

Cory Heitler (2-0) claimed the win for the Roadrunners with eight solid innings, striking out 12 batters and surrendering one earned. 

Kawahara went 2-for-4 with two RBIs from the leadoff spot, while Dan Marano, Matthew Kann, and Cavegn all recorded one of F&M's five total hits. 

The Diplomats will look to get back on track tomorrow when F&M takes on RPI at 1:00 p.m. Live stats for Friday can be found here.