LANCASTER, Pa. - J.J. Freeman's big game lifted the Diplomats to a series split with Washington College in Centennial Conference (CC) action on Saturday afternoon. Freeman's three-run shot in the bottom of the first of game one got the ball rolling in a 10-4 win, before Franklin & Marshall came up short by a 6-3 margin in the latter game. With the split, the Diplomats moved to 7-3, 7-3 CC on the season, while Washington changed their record to 12-6 (6-4 CC).

Game One: F&M 10, Washington 4

Despite the crooked scoreline showing otherwise, it was Washington putting the first run on the board in the top of the first inning. The Diplomats wasted zero time reclaiming the lead in the bottom half. After Bobby Falese and Will Samuel reached, J.J. Freeman promptly unloaded the bases with a three-run dinger for a 3-1 lead.

That scoreline would hold until the fifth, when Freeman again got in on the action, doubling to the gap. Don DiLoreto pushed him home on a ground out for a 4-1 advantage.

The Diplomats turned the game into a lopsided affair in the bottom half of the sixth, capitalizing on multiple Shoremen mistakes. After Michael Cole and Matt Gluck hit one-out singles, both would cross home plate from pitching mistakes: Cole advanced home on a balk, while Gluck scampered across the plate on a wild pitch to make it 6-1.

After the bases cleared, F&M got things started again with a two-out rally that put two men on. Don DiLoreto laced an RBI single for a 7-1 lead, then J.J. Freeman once again crossed home on a wild pitch for an 8-1 edge.

The Shoremen pulled three runs back across the seventh and eight innings to cut the Diplomat lead to 8-4. F&M answered back with two more in the bottom half, coming off of Matthew Kann and Michael Cole bases loaded walks for the final 10-4 margin.

Kyle Roche (5-0) won his fifth consecutive start to open the season, turning in another quality start. The junior allowed only four hits and two earned across seven innings of work.

J.J. Freeman finished a perfect 4-for-4, scoring three runs and plating three. Will Samuel also crossed home three times on a 1-for-3 day. The Diplomats milked Washington pitching for nine walks.

Game Two: Washington 6, F&M 3

Washington once again struck in the first inning, using a strike three wild pitch to score the game's first run. They would take advantage of the Diplomat defense in the top of the third, as the Shoremen used a single/wild pitch/fielding error to plate another for a 2-0 lead.

The Diplomats cut the lead in half on a Will Samuel RBI single in the bottom half of the third; the only offensive output until a ninth inning rally.

The Shoremen added one more in the fourth, then took advantage of sloppy Diplomat defense to tack on three more across the sixth and seventh. A bases loaded hit by pitch, then an error in the sixth plated two more for a 5-1 lead. Another throwing error led to an additional run in the seventh for a 6-1 edge.

F&M started a rally in the ninth that cut into the Washington lead. Evan Varga and Matt Gluck smacked back to back singles to center, then advanced on a wild pitch. A Bobby Falese groundout to short scored Varga, while a Will Samuel single plated Gluck to cut the Washington lead to 6-3. The tying run for F&M made it to the on deck circle, but that's as close as it got.

Matt Devlin (2-3) picked up the loss, giving up three runs in 3.2 innings of work. Only three of the Shoremen's six runs were earned, taking advantage of six Diplomat errors

Will Samuel and Matt Gluck both finished with multi-hit games.

Up Next:

The two teams will duel again on Sunday in Maryland in a non-conference matchup. Opening pitch is slated for 1:00pm. The Diplomats will return home next weekend for a doubleheader against Dickinson in CC action.