FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Franklin & Marshall baseball team (10-8) scored four runs in the final three innings to slide past Skidmore (7-4), 5-4, Saturday morning. Patrick Cettina's go-ahead RBI-single in the top of the ninth was the deciding factor in the contest as the Diplomats went a perfect 8-0 at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic. It is the first time in program history that F&M went undefeated on its Florida Spring Break trip.

Tied at 4-all through eight innings, Drew Butera singled and advanced to second on a fielding error by the Skidmore left fielder. With two outs in the frame, Cettina ripped a single into left center to bring home Butera – giving F&M the lead.

Skidmore threatened in the bottom half of the ninth, loading the bases with one out in the inning. Despite the jam, pitcher Thomas McLaughlin stayed composed by striking out the next batter out swinging. With two outs, McLaughlin made a nice play on a groundout back to the mound to get the third out – ending the game.

The Thoroughbreds got on the scoreboard first as they plated two runs in the bottom of the first. Franklin & Marshall cut the deficit in half in the top of the third as AJ Desautels singled to right field to score Conner Rush from second.

Skidmore added two more runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 4-1 lead in the game.

Still trailing in the top of the seventh, F&M worked the bases loaded for Jakob Hoffman to hit a two-out single down the left field line to score two – cutting Skidmore's lead to 4-3.

The Diplomats kept the pressure on in the eighth starting with Tommy Denlinger smacking a double into the left center field gap. Rush singled to center field to move Denlinger to third with one out. The next batter, Ryan Rodriguez, put the ball in play by hitting a ground ball to the second baseman. The Thoroughbreds couldn't turn the double play as Denlinger crossed the plate to tie the game.

Cettina led F&M with three hits, followed by Desautels and Rush each tallying two. Hoffman had a multi-RBI day, driving in two runs in the win.

McLaughlin (1-0) earned his first win of the season, allowing just one hit and no earned runs in two innings of relief. Kyle Roche started the game for F&M, striking out five and allowed one earned run in seven innings of work.

Franklin & Marshall returns to Pennsylvania to play a non-conference midweek game at Elizabethtown Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.