ALLENTOWN, Pa. – The Franklin & Marshall baseball team (20-12, 7-3 CC) split its Centennial Conference (CC) doubleheader at Muhlenberg (13-16-1, 6-4 CC) Sunday afternoon. The Diplomats fell in game one, 9-2, before edging the Mules in game two, 4-3.

Game 1: Muhlenberg 9, Franklin & Marshall 2

Muhlenberg got out in front of the Diplomats early, scoring four runs in both the second and third innings to take an 8-0 lead.

Trailing 9-0 in the top of the sixth, Tommy Denlinger led off the inning with a single into center field. After Bobby Falese walked and Jakob Hoffman was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Drew Butera ripped a sacrifice fly to center field – scoring Denlinger and getting F&M on the scoreboard.

Butera later recorded his second RBI of the game as he worked a bases-loaded walk in the top of the eighth to plate the Diplomats second run of the contest.

Patrick Cettina led the team in hits with two in game one. Butera, Denlinger, and Andrew Filippelli also recorded hits in the loss.

Greg Nieskens (4-5) was the losing pitcher in game one, striking out two in 2.1 innings on the mound.

Game 2: Franklin & Marshall 4, Muhlenberg 3

The Diplomats battled the Mules to the very end, scoring the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth to take game two and split the doubleheader.

Franklin & Marshall's offense got started early as AJ Desautels singled to lead off the game. Falese singled and Hoffman was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Butera flew out to right field to score Desautels on a sacrifice fly – breaking the scoreless tie. Spencer Berson hit a single through the left side of the infield to score Falese and push the Diplomats' lead to 2-0.

An RBI-double in the fourth and a solo homer in the fifth tied the game up for the Mules.

F&M responded in the top of the seventh as Pat Elliott worked a lead-off walk and later came around to score on a double into center field by Falese.

Muhlenberg once again tied the game in the bottom of the eighth on a two-out RBI-triple into right field.

With one out in the top of the ninth, Desautels roped a single through the left side of the infield and immediately swiped second base on a steal. A flyout to right field allowed the sophomore to advance to third. With two outs in the inning, a wild pitch that got away from the Mules' catcher allowed Desautels to cross the plate – scoring the go-ahead run.

Muhlenberg threatened in the bottom of the frame as the hosts got the tying run on third base, but Shane Rebane slammed the door on the Mules' last chance efforts as he got the third out on fly out to left.

Berson led the Diplomats on offense as he finished the game batting 4-for-4 with an RBI in the contest. Falese tallied three hits followed by Desautels recording two in the win.

Rebane (3-1) was the winning pitcher in game two, allowing just one earned run on two hits in the final three innings. Dan Galef was the Diplomats' starter in game two, striking out three and allowing two earned runs in six innings of work.

Franklin & Marshall travels to play Washington College Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.