LANCASTER, Pa. – The Dickinson baseball team fought hard afternoon and clubbed three home runs, but was unable to hang on to an early 4-1 lead as the Centennial Conference leading Franklin & Marshall College Diplomats held on for an 11-9 win on Friday afternoon at Clipper Magazine Stadium.

Pitching Decision

W – Charlie Wright (2-1)| L – Brian Riley (4-1)

Inside the Game

Dickinson grabbed the early lead against Diplomats starter Stephen Turzai as the first three batters reached with Kenny Tagliareni doubling down the left-field line and Lukas Atsalis working out a walk leading to an RBI single for Andrew Mazzone. After a Cole Hare strikeout, Tom Gannaway drew the second free pass of the frame to fill the bags for Luke Jackson. Unfortunately for the Red and White Turzai set down the next two batters to end the threat. F&M prevented the shutdown inning for Brian Riley immediately as Spencer Berson blasted one over the right-field fence. Singles for Bobby Falese and Jakob Hoffman gave the hosts a chance to add on with one gone, but Riley induced back-to-back grounders to leave it at 1-1.

The Red Devils had their own answer in the second with Cole Benner sending a one-out offering up into the jet stream and depositing the ball over the right-field fence. Base knocks for Atsalis and Mazzone gave Hare the opportunity for some two-out magic which he delivered with a two-run double off the wall in right for a 4-1 edge through one-a-half. Pat Elliott would reach on an error to begin the home-half and would come home three batters later on a sac fly by Berson. A hit batsman and walk proved costly as Falese scorched a ball through the left-side to pull within 4-3 still with two out. Two more F&M hits scored three more runs to give the home side a 6-4 edge through two.

A leadoff walk to Jackson kicked off the third and spelled the end of the day for Turzai as he was replaced by Charlie Wright. He got Matt Torres on a check swing, but Chase Weller tripled off the wall in right and Benner singled to plate Weller and draw the game level 6-6. However, F&M once again had an answer as a one-out walk and single resulted in a sac fly for Berson to give the Diplomats a 7-6 lead heading to the fourth.

Dickinson would go down in order over the next three innings, while F&M added single runs in the fourth on an RBI infield single from Michael Cole and a sac fly once again by Berson during the sixth off of reliever Alex Bouchard to make it 9-6 after six.

The Red and White pulled one back in the ensuing frame as Mazzone launched a titanic homer to right, unfortunately, that would be all DC could muster as the next three men went down in order against Wright. F&M got the run right back in the bottom-half with Elliott reaching on a bunt single before Drew Butera split the gap in left with an RBI two-bagger. Berson then posted his fifth RBI of the afternoon to push the margin to 11-7.

Dickinson filled the bags in the eighth with one out thanks to a double for Torres, a single by Tagliareni, and a walk to Weller leading to a sac fly for Atsalis. Mazzone stepped up representing the tying run, unfortunately, he rolled one over to the second baseman to stall the rally at 11-8. Koll Peichel would allow a leadoff double in the home-half, but then put away the next three to move things to the ninth.

Hare began the ninth with a bang for the Devils as he took Wright over the right-field wall for the third jack of the game for DC. However, Gannaway flew out, Kaden Sigmon struck out and Torres lined out to center to wrap up the game.

On Deck

Dickinson (15-12, 3-5 Centennial) comes back home tomorrow afternoon for a Centennial Conference doubleheader against Swarthmore College beginning at 12 p.m. on MacPhail Field. It will be Senior Day for the Red and White