LANCASTER, Pa. -- Backed by yet another weekend of sterling starting pitching, Franklin & Marshall swept both games of a doubleheader against Ursinus in Centennial Conference (CC) action on Saturday afternoon. With the pair of victories, the Diplomats improved to 4-0, 4-0 CC, while the Bears dropped to 0-2, 0-2 CC.

Game 1: F&M 4, Ursinus 2

F&M struck first, staking out an early 3-0 advantage. After the first two batters of the inning got on base, Will Samuel promptly drove in one with an RBI single. After a Don DiLoreto walk loaded the bases, the Diplomats tacked on another following a sequence that saw a force out at the plate, but a bobbled ball by the Bears' first baseman that allowed Samuel to score. Bobby Falese singled home DiLoreto in the next at-bat for the three run lead.

The Bears pulled one back in the next frame, as a small two out rally saw a single and double in quick order to make it a 3-1 F&M edge. They clawed back another in the top of the eighth as a walk-single-single combination plated one to close the gap to 3-2.

F&M answered back in the bottom half of the inning to extend its lead. Jakob Hoffman hit his second extra-base pinch hit in as many games, driving a double to the wall. Back to back walks loaded the bases, prompting a pitching change from Ursinus. Tommy Denlinger was promptly plunked in the next at-bat, scoring Hoffman and extending the lead to 4-2.

Stephen Turzai shut the door in the ninth for his second save of the year.

Starting pitcher Matt Devlin (2-0) put in another quality start to open the season, giving up a single run in six innings of work. Devlin punched out eight Bears in the effort, making it 17 strikeouts in 14 innings to open the 2021 season for the senior lefty.

Will Samuel went 2-for-4 with a run and RBI, as the Diplomats finished with seven hits and six walks on the afternoon.

Game 2: F&M 6, Ursinus 5

Ursinus opened the first with a bang, as Will Peiffer knocked one over the fence for a 1-0 lead. The center fielder had F&M's number all afternoon, combining for six hits and three RBI across both games.

It didn't take long for the Diplomats to answer, as a two-out single by Will Samuel and a double by Matthew Kann plated two in the bottom half of the frame.

F&M tacked on two more in the bottom of the second, as J.J. Freeman drove a triple into the gap that scored pinch-runner Grant Burgess and Michael Cole.

Freeman added another RBI in the fourth, smacking a sacrifice fly that scored Cole again for a 5-1 edge.

Jakob Hoffman launched another RBI double for an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh, plating Tommy Denlinger from third for a 6-1 lead. Denlinger went station-to-station after drawing a leadoff walk, stealing second, advancing to third on a groundout, before crossing home on the double.

Ursinus took advantage of the Diplomat bullpen, nearly staging a rally in the eighth that derailed the Diplomat victory. The Bears had four cross the plate in the top of the inning, cutting the F&M advantage to 6-5.

Enter freshman relief pitcher Thomas McLaughlin, recorded the final out of the inning to end the rally, then went one-two-three in the ninth for his first save. The last out of the eighth was an absolute stunner, as Bobby Falese laid out for a diving catch for a ball that was dying in the gap.

Kyle Roche (2-0) turned in another solid outing, allowing only three hits and one run, while punching out five in six innings of work. After giving up the leadoff homer, the junior retired the next 17 Ursinus batters through the sixth inning.

J.J. Freeman paced the team with a 1-for-3, 3 RBI effort. Eight Diplomats each finished with a hit, while Will Samuel, Matthew Kann, and Jakob Hoffman all added an RBI.

Up Next 

F&M continues their abbreviated conference-only schedule on Saturday, April 3rd with a doubleheader on the road against Muhlenberg. Toe taps the rubber at 12:00pm and 3:00pm.