FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Franklin & Marshall baseball team (8-8) claimed its eighth win of the season as the Diplomats slipped past Wisconsin-Stout (5-1), 9-6, in 10 innings. Down by a run with two outs in the top of the ninth, F&M got two runners on base with Drew Butera hitting a single, followed by Andrew Filippelli drawing a walk. Down to their final strike, the Diplomats received a clutch single from Pat Elliott into center field to score the tying run – pushing the game to extras.

Tied 6-all in the top of the tenth, Conner Rush ripped a leadoff-double into left field. Matt Gluck followed by laying down a perfect bunt to the third base side of the infield, allowing him to reach base and advancing Rush to third. Spencer Berson roped a single through the left side to score Rush, giving F&M a 7-6 lead. Butera then launched a double into the right center field gap – scoring both runners and extending the lead to 9-6.

F&M got on the scoreboard first in the contest as AJ Desautels led off the game with a single into center field. The sophomore was brought around to score two batters later on a double into right field by Butera.

The Blue Devils responded in the bottom of the first with a solo home run to tie the game at 1-1.

Franklin & Marshall's offense began rolling in the top of the sixth inning as Berson and Butera reached base to put runners at the corners with one out. Jakob Hoffman singled into right center field to score Berson and move Butera to third. Michael von Zuben pinch ran for Hoffman and immediately stole second. The next batter, Elliott, singled to score Butera and push the Diplomats' lead to 3-1. After Tommy Denlinger and Rush were both hit by pitches, Patrick Cettina worked a bases-loaded walk to extend the lead to 5-1.

Wisconsin-Stout hit its second home run of the day in the sixth and later scored three runs in the seventh to tie the game at 5-all. The Blue Devils took a one-run lead in the bottom of the eighth, but it was the aforementioned single from Elliott to tie the game for the Diplomats in the ninth.

Offensively, Butera led the game in both hits (three) and RBI (three). Berson, Elliott, and Gluck ended the day with two hits each. Elliott tallied two RBI in the win.

Shane Rebane (2-0) earned his second win of the season, allowing just one hit in two shutdown innings of relief. Dan Galef started the game for the Diplomats, striking out six and allowing three earned runs in six innings on the mound.

Franklin & Marshall looks to extend its winning streak to eight Friday at 9:00 a.m. when it plays Saint Elizabeth.