FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Franklin & Marshall baseball team (1-6) began competition in the Gene Cusic Classic with a 15-4 victory against Muskingum (4-6) for its first win of the season on Saturday afternoon. The Diplomats then fell in the second game of its doubleheader against Augustana (8-3), 16-8.

Game 1: F&M 15, Muskingum 4 (7 Innings)
The Diplomats blasted four home runs to put up 15 total runs - run-ruling Muskingum in seven innings to open the Gene Cusic Classic.

F&M got its offense going early in the top of the first inning as Spencer Berson doubled and Bobby Falese singled to get two base runners on. After Jakob Hoffman walked to load the bases, Drew Butera launched a grand slam over the left center field wall to give the Diplomats a 4-0 lead. F&M continued to apply pressure in the top of the second frame as Spencer Berson laced a two-run homer for his second blast of the season.

Muskingum added a run in the bottom of the second, but F&M responded with three runs in the top of the third. Andrew Filippelli drew a walk, followed by a single from Michael von Zuben to place runners at the corners. Evan Varga then singled to center field and circled the bases to score as a misplay allowed the ball to roll to the wall – extending the F&M lead to 9-1.

Leading 9-2 in the top of the fourth, Hoffman singled and stole second to set up Butera to hit his second home run of the game to push the lead to 11-2. F&M later plated four runs in the top of the seventh to run-rule the Muskies for its first win of the season.

Five different Diplomats tallied two hits in the game with Butera leading the team with six RBI. In addition to Berson and Butera's home runs, AJ Desautels also hit one over the fence for his first of the year.

Dan Galef (1-2) earned the win in the contest – tying a career-high in strikeouts with eight, while allowing three earned runs in 6.1 innings of work.

Game 2: Augustana (Ill.) 16, F&M 8
Augustana jumped in front on the scoreboard with the first 13 runs of the game. F&M chipped away at the margin to get within six of the Vikings, but the deficit was too great to overcome.

The Diplomats' bats came to life in the top of the seventh as Nate Berenberg and Matt Hollender reached base to put runners at the corners with one out in the frame. Ryan Rodriguez put the Diplomats on the scoreboard as he doubled to right field, bringing home Berenberg and sending Hollender to second. Troy Repaci followed by lacing a pinch-hit double to right center field to plate Hollender and make it a 13-2 game. After Nolan McCloskey drew a walk, Falese hammered a grand slam over the left center field wall to get F&M within seven.

After Augustana scored a run in the bottom of the seventh to push its lead to eight, F&M responded in the next half-inning with a two-run home run from Hollender to get the Diplomats within six. Despite the late surge, the Vikings kept Franklin & Marshall from adding any additional runs in the contest.

Hoffman led F&M with four hits, while Berenberg, Hollender, and Repaci each recorded two in the game.

Bijan Anvar (0-1) was tagged with his first loss of the season – striking out two and allowing six earned runs in three innings on the mound.

Franklin & Marshall gets set for a doubleheader against No. 3 Baldwin Wallace on Sunday, starting at 10:30 a.m.