LANCASTER, Pa. – The Franklin & Marshall baseball team (15-9, 1-1 CC) split its doubleheader against No. 4 Johns Hopkins (19-3, 1-1 CC) in Saturday afternoon's Centennial Conference (CC) opener at Caplan Field. The Diplomats walked off the Blue Jays in the bottom of the ninth to win game one, 9-7. JHU then held off F&M's comeback efforts in game two to win, 5-4.

Bobby Falese became the first Diplomat to reach 200-career hits as he recorded an infield-single during the sixth inning of F&M's game-one victory.
 
Game 1: Franklin & Marshall 9, No. 4 Johns Hopkins 7
Franklin & Marshall erased a 7-0 deficit to come all the way back and tie the game in the bottom of the eighth inning. The Diplomats completed the comeback with Matt Hollender launching a walk-off two-run home run over the left field wall to knock off the Blue Jays in game one.

Trailing 7-0 in the bottom of the sixth, AJ Desautels got on base and advanced to second on a pair of errors by JHU. After a wild pitch moved Desautels to third, the second baseman came home on a groundout to get F&M on the scoreboard.

In the bottom of the seventh, Michael von Zuben legged out an infield-single to begin the frame. The next batter, Andrew Filippelli rocketed his first home run of the year over the right field fence to cut the deficit to 7-3.

F&M rallied in the bottom of the eighth, starting with a one-out double from Falese. A single from Hollender put runners at the corners for Conner Rush to rip an RBI-double into the left center field gap to make the score 7-4. Filippelli then brought both runners home on a two-RBI double into right center field to reduce the deficit to a run. Filippelli came around to score on the following at-bat as a throwing error went down the right field line, allowing the senior to score and tie the game at 7-7.

In the bottom of the ninth, Tanner Wolpert worked a one-out walk to set up Hollender's two-run blast to win the game. The home run was Hollender's team-leading fourth home run of the season.

Nolan McCloskey led the Diplomats with three hits, while Filippelli tallied a game-high four RBI in the contest. As a team, F&M recorded 12 hits with six extra-base hits in the victory.

Kiernan Keller (3-0) earned his third win of the year, keeping JHU off the scoreboard during his relief appearance in the top of the ninth. Bijan Anvar started the game on the mound, striking out two and allowing four earned runs in four innings-pitched. Dan Galef tied his season-high in strikeouts with seven, while allowing three earned runs in 4.2 innings of work.
 
Game 2: No. 4 Johns Hopkins 5, Franklin & Marshall 4
F&M gained an early edge in the contest, but a three-run fifth inning put Johns Hopkins in front. The Diplomats rallied late, but left the tying run stranded on third to end the game as JHU took game two.

F&M got the offense going in the first inning as Falese doubled down the left field line. After a groundout advanced Falese to third, a fielding error allowed the Diplomats' shortstop to score for the first run of the game.

In the bottom of the third, Wolpert and Filippelli both singled to put runners at the corners with one out. Desautels then ripped a single through the left side of the infield to score Wolpert and put F&M ahead 2-0.

Johns Hopkins scored three runs in the fifth, followed by one run in both the sixth and ninth innings to extend its lead to 5-2.

Franklin & Marshall put together one final surge in the bottom of the ninth that started with McCloskey leading off the frame by getting hit by a pitch. F&M worked the bases loaded with two outs for Filippelli to single up the middle of the infield to score two and get the Diplomats within a run of tying the game. A walk to Desautels loaded the bases once again, but Johns Hopkins forced a flyout to extinguish the threat and end the game.

Four Diplomats recorded multi-hit games, with Filippelli leading the team with two RBI.

Peter Mullen (1-2) was tagged with the loss, striking out two and allowing one earned run in 3.2 innings pitched.

Franklin & Marshall now travels to take on Haverford on Tuesday, starting at 3:30 p.m.