RADNOR, Pa. – The Franklin & Marshall baseball team (1-2) claimed its first win of the 2023 season at Cabrini (1-1), 6-4, Tuesday afternoon. The Diplomats used a big four-run second inning to get out in front of the Cavaliers early in the contest. Cabrini cut the deficit to two in the sixth, but the Diplomats kept the hosts off the scoreboard in the seventh inning as the game was called due to darkness.

F&M struck first in the top of the second after the Diplomats worked the bases loaded with one out. Catcher Evan Varga singled into left field to score both Pat Elliott and Patrick Cettina, while Drew Butera advanced to second on the play. The next batter, Matt Gluck, singled to once again load the bases for F&M in the inning. Center fielder Spencer Berson shot a two-out single back up the middle to plate Butera and Varga to give the Diplomats an early 4-0 lead.

Berson wasn't done driving in runs as he launched the team's first home run of the season over the left center field fence to extend the lead to 5-0 in the fourth inning. The blast was the ninth of Berson's career, which is tied for seventh-most in the F&M career record books.

Cabrini responded in the bottom of fifth inning as the Cavaliers plated three-runs in the frame to cut F&M's lead to 5-3.

Franklin & Marshall added its sixth run in the top of the sixth as Jakob Hoffman and Elliott knocked back-to-back singles and proceeded to complete a double steal to get both runners in scoring position on the following at bat. Cettina's sacrifice fly to right field scored Hoffman from third to give F&M a 6-3 advantage.

Cabrini didn't go down quietly as center fielder Dustin Sutton homered over the center field fence to once again get the Cavaliers back within two. Despite the late surge, F&M shutdown Cabrini in the seventh inning just as the umpires called the game for darkness.

Berson, Hoffman, and Butera all tallied two hits in the contest. Berson also drove in three RBI, while Varga recorded two RBI in the victory.

Dan Galef (1-0) was the winning pitcher of record as he struck out six, while allowing just two hits and no earned runs in four innings on the mound. The sophomore hurler rolled through his outing, but had to work out of trouble in the bottom of the third inning as Cabrini loaded the bases with two outs. Galef remained aggressive as he struck out the Cavaliers' cleanup hitter swinging on three pitches to extinguish the scoring chance.

Franklin & Marshall hits the road to play a three-game series at Hampden-Sydney this weekend. On Saturday, the teams play a double-header that starts at noon. First pitch for Sunday's contest is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.