FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Franklin & Marshall baseball team (1-8) dropped two games in its non-conference doubleheader to No. 3 Baldwin Wallace (9-2) Sunday afternoon at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic. The Yellow Jackets claimed a win in game one, 6-2, before completing the sweep with a 5-2 victory in game two.

Game 1: Baldwin Wallace 6, F&M 2 (7 Innings)
Franklin & Marshall gained an early 2-0 advantage, but the Yellow Jackets tied the game in the fourth and plated four in the fifth to race past the Diplomats in a seven-inning game one.

F&M got its first two batters of the game on base with Michael von Zuben walking and Spencer Berson hitting a single into center. Two batters later, Drew Butera shot a single up the middle of the infield to score von Zuben and put F&M ahead 1-0. After an error on a pickoff attempt put both runners in scoring position, AJ Desautels laced a single into left field to score Berson and add to the F&M lead.

From that point, the Diplomats' bats went cold as they were kept off the scoreboard for the rest of the game. Meanwhile, Baldwin Wallace chipped away with runs in the second and fourth innings to tie the game at 2-2. The Yellow Jackets took control of the lead in the bottom of the fifth, plating four runs on three hits to go up, 6-2, on the scoreboard.

Jakob Hoffman led the Diplomats at the plate with two hits, including a double in the top of the fifth inning.

Peter Mullen (0-2) was tagged with the loss, striking out four and allowing two earned runs in four innings on the mound.

Game 2: Baldwin Wallace 5, F&M 2
F&M held the lead for the majority of the contest, but a big four-run eighth inning put Baldwin Wallace ahead late to complete the doubleheader sweep.

Once again, F&M got on the scoreboard in the first inning as a double into right field from Bobby Falese scored Berson all the way from first – giving the Diplomats a 1-0 advantage. Two innings later, Falese punched a two-out double into the right center field gap to keep the inning alive. The hit proved to be valuable as an error on a pop up in the infield two batters later allowed Falese to score from second – extending the Diplomats' lead to 2-0.

Baldwin Wallace responded immediately with an RBI-single in the next half-inning to cut the deficit to a run. The Yellow Jackets then took control of the game in the top of the eighth with four runs on two hits, while keeping the Diplomats off the scoreboard for the rest of the game.

Berson led F&M with three hits, while Falese and Hoffman each tallied two in the contest.

Thomas McLaughlin (0-2) was the losing pitcher in game two, striking out one and allowing two earned runs in three innings of relief. Kiernan Keller pieced together an impressive performance in his first start this season – tossing four strikeouts and allowing one earned run in six innings pitched.

Franklin & Marshall returns to action on Monday when it takes on Scranton. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.