COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – The Franklin & Marshall baseball team (14-15, 6-3 CC) slugged its way to a big 24-9 victory over Ursinus (11-17, 4-6 CC) in seven innings on Sunday afternoon to complete the series sweep of the Bears. The Diplomats hit a total of five home runs in the contest to tie the program single-game record, which was set twice during the 2022 season.

In the top of the first, Franklin & Marshall gained an early edge as Bobby Falese and Spencer Berson both singled to put runners on the corners with one out. The next batter, Jakob Hoffman doubled to score Falese and put F&M ahead, 1-0. After a play at the plate cut down Berson for the inning's second out, a wild pitch allowed Hoffman to score – giving the Diplomats a two-run lead.

The Diplomats continued its success at the plate in the top of the third as two runners reached base for Hoffman to launch a home run over the left field fence, extending the lead to 5-0. F&M wasn't done yet as Drew Butera followed with a home run of his own over the right field wall for his fourth of the season.

The Bears responded with three runs in the bottom of the third to cut the deficit in half. However, F&M would then push across a run on an RBI-double from Butera in the top of the fifth to make the score, 7-3.

After UC plated a run in the bottom of the fifth, F&M went right back to work in the top of the sixth as Matt Hollender led off the frame with a walk. After two-consecutive fly outs, von Zuben and Falese both were hit by pitches to load the bases. With two outs and two strikes, Berson ripped a grand slam over the left center field fence to push the Diplomats' lead to 11-4. The blast was Berson's third home run of the season and second grand slam of his career. The following batter, Hoffman went back-to-back with Berson as he hit his second home run of the game over the center field fence to extend F&M's lead to eight. Hoffman is now tied with Falese for the program career home run record with 18.

The floodgates opened in the top of the seventh as the first 11 batters reached base to begin the frame – resulting in seven runs to push F&M's lead to 19-4. The Bears finally got a batter out on a grounder from Tanner Wolpert, but another run scored on the play for the Diplomat's 20th of the game. After an RBI-single from Patrick Cettina made it a 21-4 game, Nolan McCloskey unloaded a three-run homer over the wall in right field for his first-collegiate home run.

Berson, Butera, and Hoffman notched three hits each in the win. Berson led the team with a career-high six RBI, which is one-shy of the F&M single-game record that was set by Falese in the win against Albright earlier this season. Hoffman also drove in five RBI in the victory to tie his career-best.

Peter Mullen (3-2) earned his third win on the mound this season – striking out one and allowing one earned run in six innings of work.

Franklin & Marshall now gets set to host Washington College on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.