HAVERFORD, Pa. – The Franklin & Marshall baseball team (15-10, 1-2 CC) fell on the road at Haverford (12-8, 1-2 CC), 11-4, in Tuesday afternoon's Centennial Conference (CC) matchup. The Diplomats took an early 4-0 advantage, but a six-run fourth inning gave Haverford the lead as the Fords rallied past the Diplomats in game one of their home-and-home series.

In the top of the third, Michael von Zuben led off the frame by reaching base on an error in the Haverford infield. Two batters later, AJ Desautels launched his third home run of the season over the left field fence to give F&M a 2-0 lead. Tanner Wolpert then got hit by a pitch to keep the inning alive with two outs. Matt Hollender followed by hitting his team-leading fifth home run of the season over the right field wall to extend the lead to 4-0.

Haverford responded in the bottom of the fourth with six hits leading to six runs to overtake the Diplomats on the scoreboard. The Fords added three runs in the fifth and two runs in the sixth to extend their lead to 11-4.

Franklin & Marshall had an opportunity to chip away at the deficit in the top of the seventh as Nick DiGiacomo led off the frame with a double into right field. A passed ball and a walk to Nick Lorenzo put runners at the corners with one out. However, the Diplomats couldn't score either runner as Haverford forced a strikeout and a pop up to get out of the inning.

Desautels and Hollender finished the contest with two hits and two RBI each. Desautels and Wolpert both recorded stolen bases in the game.

Kiernan Keller (3-1) was tagged with his first loss of the season, striking out three and allowing four earned runs in four innings of work.

Franklin & Marshall looks to even the series when it hosts Haverford on Friday at Penn Medicine Park. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.