CHESTERTOWN, Md. – The Franklin & Marshall baseball team (17-13, 4-7 CC) stormed back from a 10-run deficit, but fell just short in a 13-12 loss at Washington College (18-15, 6-5 CC) in Tuesday afternoon's Centennial Conference (CC) showdown.

The Shoremen took an early 5-0 lead thanks to three home runs in the first two innings of the contest. F&M got its offense started in the top of the third as Michael von Zuben led off the frame with an infield single. Tanner Wolpert followed with a double into center field, allowing von Zuben to score from first to narrow the deficit to 5-1.

Washington College continued to apply pressure, scoring three runs in both the third and fourth frames to extend its lead to 11-1.

After both teams added a run in the fifth, F&M rallied its way back into the game in the top of the sixth. Nick Lorenzo and von Zuben both earned walks with one out to set up Wolpert for an RBI-single up the middle of the infield to reduce the deficit to 12-3. The next batter, Matt Hollender ripped his seventh home run of the season over the right center field fence to get F&M within six.

Nick DiGiacomo reached on a fielder's choice and Vincent Mariniello walked to keep the inning alive with two outs. That set up Owen Woodward to blast his first-career homer over the left field wall to get the Diplomats within three of tying the game.

The Shoremen added some insurance with a run in the bottom of the seventh to take a 13-9 lead, but F&M went right back to work in the top of the eighth. Woodward reached base on fielder's choice with one out in the frame. Zac Fuscaldo followed with a double into the gap in left center field to put two runners into scoring position. After Lorenzo was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Wolpert drove all three runners home on his second double of the day to get F&M within a run of tying the game. Despite the late surge, the Diplomats went down in order in the top of the ninth to fall short of the comeback.

Wolpert and Hollender led the Diplomats with three hits apiece in the game. Wolpert ended the day with a game-high five RBI, while Hollender and Woodward drove in three RBI each.

Will O'Connor (3-2) was tagged with the loss, throwing 2.1 innings in his sixth start of the year. Luca Marshall had a strong outing the close the contest, tossing a season-high six strikeouts and allowing no earned runs and one hit in 2.1 innings of relief.

Franklin & Marshall welcomes Washington College to Caplan Field on Friday at 3:30 p.m.