HAMPDEN SYDNEY, Va. – The Franklin & Marshall baseball team (2-0) swept its season-opening doubleheader Saturday in Hampden Sydney, Virginia to start its 2026 season. The Diplomats raced past Wabash (0-1), 13-6, before taking down Muskingum (0-3), 9-4.

Game 1: Franklin & Marshall 13, Wabash 6
The F&M bats were on fire to start the spring, recording 22 total hits to score 13 runs in the season opener. The 22-hit performance is tied for fourth in the program's single-game record book.

The Little Giants grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the second, but F&M went right to work in the top of the third as Zac Fuscaldo led off the inning with a single to right. Nick DiGiacomo tied the game two batters later as he ripped an RBI-triple into left center field. Michael von Zuben doubled to score DiGiacomo and give the Diplomats its first lead at 2-1. The next batter, Matt Hollender singled as von Zuben came around to score, giving F&M a 3-1 advantage.

Wabash battled back with four runs in the bottom of the fifth to take over the lead, 5-3. F&M answered immediately in the top of the sixth as Gideon Schwartz and Nolan McCloskey both hit doubles to get the Diplomats within one.

After Wabash added a run in the bottom of the sixth, the Diplomats rallied to start the seventh. Von Zuben singled to lead off the frame and was brought home on an RBI-double from Hollender to make the score 6-5. Tommy Truzzolino dropped down a sacrifice bunt that was thrown away by the Wabash third baseman to score Hollender and tie the game.

In the top of the eighth, F&M put runners at the corners for von Zuben to rip a sacrifice fly to center and score Fuscaldo to give the Diplomats the lead.

Franklin & Marshall broke open the scoring in the top of the ninth as Nick Lorenzo and Schwartz were brought home on a double from Fuscaldo, extending the lead to 9-6. After getting two runners into scoring position, a sacrifice fly from DiGiacomo pushed the lead to four. The next batter, von Zuben singled to plate Vincent Mariniello, making the score 11-6. A single from Hollender brought Truzzolino into score for the Diplomats' fifth run of the frame. Hollender later came around to score, cushioning the lead at seven runs.

Fuscaldo, McCloskey, and von Zuben all tallied four hits in the game. Hollender and von Zuben tied for the team-high in RBI, driving in three each in the win. The Diplomats recorded seven extra-base hits with Fuscaldo recording two doubles in the contest.

Rohan Shah (1-0) recorded his first-career win on the mound, striking out one without allowing an earned run in 1.2 innings of relief. Chet Kosnar was credited with his first-career save as he gave up no earned runs and just one hit in 1.2 innings during his collegiate debut. David McGeorge was tagged with a no-decision in his start, striking out one and allowing one earned run in four innings of work.
 
Game 2: Franklin & Marshall 9, Muskingum 4
F&M surged late in Saturday afternoon's game against the Muskies, scoring all nine runs in the final three innings to secure the doubleheader sweep.
Muskingum plated one run in the first, two runs in the fourth, and one run in the sixth to jump ahead of the Diplomats, 4-0.

In the bottom of the seventh, F&M loaded the bases for Tanner Wolpert to lift a sacrifice fly to left field and score Fuscaldo to get the Diplomats on the scoreboard. After Truzzolino singled to load the bases, an error allowed two runners to score, cutting the deficit to 4-3.

Franklin & Marshall continued to produce on offense in the eighth as the Diplomats loaded the bases with one out. The next batter, Ethan Conklin laced a double to right field to score two and give F&M its first lead of the contest. A wild pitch during the following at-bat allowed Landon Hallett to score, giving the Diplomats a 6-4 advantage. McCloskey legged out an infield single, but an error in the infield allowed two runs to score on the play. McCloskey then came around to score on a wild pitch to extend the lead to five entering the top of the ninth.

Truzzolino led the Diplomats with two hits, while Conklin recorded a team-high two RBI in the victory.

Kiernan Keller (1-0) earned the win on the mound, striking out four and allowing no earned runs in three innings of relief. Colin Mackenzie pitched well as the first reliever out of the bullpen, striking out five without allowing an earned run in three innings of work. Peter Mullen was hit with a no-decision in his start, striking out three allowing one hit and one earned run in one inning-pitched.

Franklin & Marshall was scheduled to play Hampden-Sydney Sunday at 3:00 p.m. However, that game has been canceled due to inclement weather in the forecast for Sunday. The Diplomats now look forward to hosting a doubleheader at home against Clarkson on Saturday, starting at 11:00 a.m.