LANCASTER, Pa. – The Franklin & Marshall baseball team (19-11, 6-2 CC) completed its series sweep of Ursinus (11-19, 3-5 CC) as the Diplomats climbed back from a five-run deficit to walk-off the Bears, 9-8, in the 11th inning of Friday afternoon's Centennial Conference (CC) showdown at Caplan Field. Drew Butera's lead-off triple into the right center field gap set up Spencer Berson to lace a single down the third base line – completing the comeback victory.

Trailing 7-2 in the bottom of the eighth inning, a single from Bobby Falese followed by a double from Jakob Hoffman put two runners in scoring position with no outs. Falese scored on a groundout during the next at-bat to get F&M within four. Patrick Cettina doubled to left field to score Hoffman – shrinking the Bears' lead to 7-4. Pat Elliott singled to plate Cettina and later came around to score on a single up the middle from Andrew Filippelli to get F&M within one.

Ursinus scored a run in the top of the ninth to get some breathing room, but F&M quickly responded in the bottom of the frame as the hosts loaded the bases with no outs. An error on the Ursinus second baseman scored a run and kept the bases loaded for Berson to single into left field – plating Falese and tying the game. Despite the F&M rally, Ursinus managed to escape the jam and extend the game into extra innings.  

Ursinus got on the scoreboard first in the contest, scoring two runs in the top of the third frame. In the bottom of the fourth, Butera launched a towering drive that carried over the center field fence for his third home run of the season.

F&M tied the game at 2-all in the bottom of the sixth as Falese drove his third homer of the spring over the wall in right center field.

The Diplomats outhit the Bears, 19-11, in the contest. Berson led the game with five hits while Falese closely followed with four. Berson also led the Diplomats with three RBI, while Butera tallied two in the win.

Greg Nieskens (4-4) was the winning pitcher in the contest as he struck out one and kept Ursinus off the scoreboard in one inning of relief. Kyle Roche started the game on the mound, striking out four while allowing two earned runs in six innings of work. F&M's pitching staff totaled 11 strikeouts in the victory.

Due to rain in Saturday's forecast, Franklin & Marshall's doubleheader at Muhlenberg is pushed back to Sunday at noon.