DAVENPORT, Fla. – The Franklin & Marshall baseball team (7-3) opened the RussMatt Invitational with a 14-1 win over William Paterson (5-3) in seven innings Saturday evening. The Diplomats tallied 15 hits, while David McGeorge and Kiernan Keller allowed just one hit combined in the contest.

F&M got the bats started early as Michael von Zuben hit a double into left field. Two batters later, von Zuben came home to score on an RBI-single from Matt Hollender to put the Diplomats ahead, 1-0.

William Paterson responded in the bottom of the first with the tying run coming in to score with two outs in the frame.

In the top of the third, Tanner Wolpert walked and Hollender singled to put runners at the corners with one out. Nick DiGiacomo put the ball in play to allow Wolpert to score on a groundout, giving F&M a 2-1 advantage.

Franklin & Marshall continued to have success at the plate in the fifth, loading the bases to set up a walk to Gideon Schwartz to give the Diplomats a 3-1 lead. Landon Hallett followed with a single into right field to score two and extend the lead to four. Nolan McCloskey then ripped a double into right field to plate two and bring the score to 7-1.

In the top of the sixth, F&M got two runners into scoring position for DiGiacomo to rope a single to left field, bringing in the Diplomats' eighth run of the game. Two batters later, Schwartz brought Hollender home on a sacrifice fly to push the lead to 9-1. The Diplomats put runners at the corners with two outs as Owen Woodward swiped second on a steal. As the throw went to second, DiGiacomo raced home to cushion the F&M lead at 10-1.

In the top of the seventh, F&M loaded the bases for DiGiacomo to single through the left side of the infield, scoring two on the play. The Diplomats worked the bases loaded again for Woodward to rip a single into left field, plating two more runs to increase the lead to 13.

DiGiacomo led F&M with three hits and four RBI. McCloskey and Schwartz both ended the contest with two hits and two RBI each.

McGeorge (3-0) was dominant in his start, striking out nine and allowing just one hit and one earned run in 6.0 innings pitched. Keller finished the game as he struck out two and didn't allow a baserunner in his 1.0 inning of relief.

Franklin & Marshall returns to action Sunday, facing Wisconsin-Stout at 5:00 p.m.