Box Scores: Game 1 | Game 2

LANCASTER, Pa. – Franklin & Marshall's baseball team rolled in a doubleheader sweep of non-conference foe Elmira in the team's home opener at Caplan Field on Saturday. The Diplomats, who improved to 3-4 on the year, shut down the Eagles (2-10) by a 4-1 tally in the first before their offense took off with a 15-7 onslaught in the nightcap.

Game 1: F&M 4, Elmira 1 (7 Innings)

Preseason All-America starting pitcher Jonathan Cole (1-0) gave up a first-inning run and then closed the door on Elmira by not allowing another hit until the top of the sixth. Cole finished with seven strikeouts, earning the win after scattering just two hits in his complete-game, seven-inning gem. 

Elmira's 1-0 edge was short-lived as the Diplomats knotted the game in the bottom of the inning with J.J. Freeman's grounder to short that plated Justin Cavegn from third.   

Cavegn provided a critical insurance score in the fifth with his RBI single up the middle that allowed Tommy Denlinger to cross home and make it a 2-1 game before Max Schwartz added some breathing room with his two-RBI single to right field in the bottom of the sixth.

Schwartz paced the offense with a perfect 3-for-3 line that included two RBIs. Don Diloreto went 2-for-2 with a run scored and a walk, while Cavegn tallied a 2-for-3 effort with a run scored and an RBI from the leadoff spot.

Game 2: F&M 15, Elmira 7 (7 Innings)

The Eagles' bats showed life in the nightcap by tossing quick two runs on the board in the top of the first and adding a run off an RBI single down the right-field line in the second to go ahead 3-0.

F&M was quick to respond with a crooked third frame that saw the Diplomats plate five runs off of five hits and an error. Freeman keyed the inning with a bases-clearing triple that scored two, while Kelsey Launi and Schwartz added RBI singles during the offensive display. Will Samuel drew a bases-loaded walk as well. 

Four runs off of just one hit, and an error in the top of the fourth once again gave Elmira the advantage at 7-5. However, the Diplomats batted around in the bottom of the frame with four runs of their own that included RBI singles from Freeman and Kyle Ebert to give F&M the 9-7 edge.

In the fifth, the Diplomats put the game out of reach for good with five runs on four hits and an error to capture the seven-run lead. Steven Rizzo, Michael Cole, and Jason Weinhaus all came through with RBI singles in the frame. 

Starter Matt Devlin tossed 3 2/3 innings, surrendering three earned off of five hits with five walks. Reliever Charlie Wright (1-0) twirled three shutout frames out of the bullpen to earn his first victory of the 2020 season.

Ebert collected three of the Diplomats' 14 hits with a 3-for-5 showing. Denlinger and Freeman added identical 2-for-3 lines with three runs scored each. The Diplomats' drew eight walks on the afternoon, including two each from the top-three spots in the order.   

Up Next 

F&M aims to carry the momentum into Tuesday's non-conference contest at home against Elizabethtown. First pitch is set for a 3:30 p.m. start.