Box Scores: Game 1 | Game 2

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - Franklin & Marshall's baseball team picked up a split against Juniata on day two of the team's spring break trip in Florida with a narrow 2-1 loss (7 Innings) in game one, followed by a 9-2 victory (7 Innings) in the nightcap.

The Diplomats moved to 6-1 on the year while the Eagles now sit at 1-2 after Monday's results.

Game 1: Juniata 2, F&M 1 (7 Innings) 

Each team's starting pitcher kept the opposing offense at bay as the first run of the game wasn't surrendered until the bottom of the fifth. Juniata opened the frame with a leadoff single, and the next batter was hit by a pitch. 

Following a foul out to third, another Eagle was hit to load the bases with no outs. An RBI single plated a pair before Diplomat starter Jonathan Cole limited the damage with a swinging strikeout and a groundout to first base.

In the next inning, Juniata made it a 2-0 with a one-out, RBI-single to left field that plated a runner from third. F&M attempted to rally in the seventh when Don DiLoreto opened with a leadoff double to right field. He eventually scored when Matthew Kann reached first on a fielder's choice, but the Diplomats were retired in their next two at-bats to end the threat.

Cole (1-1) was dealt the hard-luck loss despite giving up only one earned run on five hits in six innings of work. His counterpart Adam Kipp (1-0) twirled a seven-inning shutout, allowing five hits and striking out three. 

DiLoreto paced the F&M batters with a 2-for-3 effort at the plate with one run scored. 

Game 2: F&M 9, Juniata 2 (7 Innings) 

The Diplomats' offense wasted little time producing runs in game two as Kyle Ebert's RBI single in the bottom of the first put F&M ahead 1-0. In the next frame, the Diplomats added three more to their total with a two-RBI double from DiLoreto and an another RBI single from Ebert.

Juniata got a run back in the fourth to make it 4-1 before F&M plated a pair off of bases-loaded, hit-by-pitches in the bottom of the frame to pad the lead to five. In the fifth, the Diplomats rounded out their scoring with three insurance runs off of two hits and a pair of errors to put the game out of reach. 

Will Samuel highlighted the scoring with an RBI single to right field that plated Ebert from second.

Starting pitcher Matt Devlin (1-0) earned the win with 4 2/3 innings, allowing one earned on three hits and striking out seven.

F&M outhit Juniata by an 11-6 margin and was paced by leadoff hitter J.J. Freeman with a 3-for-5 effort with three runs scored. Ebert and Samuel both went 2-for-3 with Ebert scoring twice and notching a pair of RBIs. 

Up Next

F&M returns to the field on Wednesday for a doubleheader against Keene St. that begins at 4:30 p.m.