LANGHORNE, Pa. – The Franklin & Marshall baseball team (5-10) outlasted Cairn (7-6, 3-0 United East), 10-9, in Wednesday afternoon's non-conference matchup. F&M led by seven when the Highlanders stormed back to tie the game at 8-8 in the fourth inning. The Diplomats plated runs in the sixth and seventh to regain the lead and hold on to the win as the contest was called through eight innings due to darkness.

Tied 8-8 in the top of the sixth, Drew Butera worked a one-out walk and immediately stole second. Andrew Filippelli regained the lead for F&M as he ripped an RBI-single into right field to score Butera. The Diplomats added insurance in the top of the seventh as Jakob Hoffman worked a walk with the bases loaded to extend F&M's lead to 10-8.

Franklin & Marshall broke open the scoring early with the first three batters of the game reaching base. Hoffman roped a single into left field to score one, but a second runner crossed the plate on a wild pitch during the following at-bat to give F&M an early 2-0 advantage. Butera then laced a two-RBI double to center field to extend the lead to four. After Filippelli walked, Evan Varga launched his first-career home run over the left field fence to put the Diplomats ahead, 7-0.

After Cairn scored a run in the bottom of the first, F&M matched with an RBI-double from Varga in the top of the third to make the score, 8-1. The Highlanders didn't go away quietly as the home team scored six runs in the bottom of the third, before tying the game with a run in the bottom of the fourth.

Varga ended the day with two hits and four RBI, followed by Butera tallying two hits and two RBI in the win. On the basepaths, F&M stole six bases with Butera and Filippelli each swiping two.

Colin Mackenzie (1-1) earned his first collegiate win on the mound, striking out four and allowing no earned runs through 2.2 innings of relief. Thomas McLaughlin earned his first save of the season and seventh of his career – striking out two batters without allowing an earned run in 1.1 innings out of the bullpen.

Franklin & Marshall now heads to Albright to play the Lions on Thursday at 3:30 p.m.