LANCASTER, Pa. -- A ninth inning rally by Washington dashed Franklin & Marshall's hopes of an undefeated home record in Centennial Conference play, taking a 6-5 final at Caplan Field on Friday afternoon. The Diplomats (18-13, 9-3 CC) and Shoremen (19-12, 5-5 CC) exchanged an error-filled contest, as all but one F&M run was earned and multiple baserunning mistakes ended a handful of Diplomat rallies in the loss.

Washington started the first with back to back singles, then plated a run on a fielder's choice by ways of an errant throw from short for a 1-0 lead.

F&M answered in the bottom of the frame, as Spencer Berson reached on an error, then advanced to third on an AJ Desautels single down the line in right. Jakob Hoffman stretched his season-long hitting streak to ten games with a double that went over the right fielder's head to give F&M a 2-1 edge. Michael Cole followed two batters later with an RBI single to left-center for a 3-1 lead.

The Shoremen retook the lead in the third - loading the bases with one gone, then smacking a two-run single and sacrifice fly for a 4-3 advantage.

F&M knotted the game on a sequence in the fifth that saw Bobby Falese round the bases on three wild pitches. Falese first reached on a fielder's choice after AJ Desautels came off the bag after reaching second safely on a double play attempt. Falese then advanced to second, third, and home on wild pitches to equal Washington at four.

The Diplomats did the same in the sixth, as Pat Elliott singled to right, stole second, advanced to third on a Drew Butera single, then scampered home on another wild pitch for a 5-4 lead.

A wild seventh inning saw both teams put runners in scoring position, including another wild stretch in the bottom half where Falese was caught hanging off of first base after a throw back in from the right fielder was off line. A 4-6-3 inning ending double play ended the Diplomat threat to add on to their lead.

Jason Schulman pitched his way out of trouble in the eighth, that seemingly keep F&M in the driver's seat. With runners on second and third after a pair of fielder's choices, Schulman battled back from a 3-1 count to punch out the final batter of the inning on strikes. The Shoremen kept battling in the ninth, plating the tying run on a sacrifice fly, then a back-breaking single to left to grab the 6-5 lead.

F&M put its first two runners on base to start the ninth, but a pop-out on a sacrifice bunt attempt from Desautels recorded the first out, then a 3-6-3 game ending double play finished off the Diplomats.

Eight different Diplomats recorded hits, as Jakob Hoffman and Michael Cole each got credit for RBI.

Stephen Turzai (1-3) earned the loss after the blown save attempt. Charlie Wright pitched effectively in the start, going six innings while allowing four runs on just three hits.

F&M has little time to waste, returning to Caplan Field tomorrow for Senior Day doubleheader festivities against Haverford beginning at noon.