By Chrissy Segrest
Elm Staff Writer
The Shoremen opened up Centennial Conference play by taking on Franklin & Marshall College on Saturday, March 31 in Athey Baseball Park. Washington College was unable to hold a 4-0 lead in game one, leading to 5-4 loss which ended in extra innings. Game two, WC lost 23-9.
In game one on the first pitch to WC, senior Ryan Donnelly hit a homerun to right field to push the Shoremen ahead 1-0. Both the Diplomats and the Shoremen were quiet until the third inning, when Donnelly was able to score on a throwing error from the Diplomats. Starting off the fourth inning, a two-out infield single scored senior Joe Lozupone.
Only two batters later, senior Evan Hirschbaum singled in the infield which allowed Donnelly to score from third.
This pushed WC’s lead to 4-0. In the sixth inning, the Diplomats had one runner on base, and a two-run blast over the right field fence cut WC’s lead in half.
In the seventh, Franklin & Marshall loaded the bases which led to one run in from a hit. Senior Nick Popolizio was able to induce a fielder’s choice to end the inning, but not before F & M was able to score another run.
The game was tied going into the 10th inning, when F&M was able to push a run across on a sac fly to center field. Senior Matt Tancredi started off the lineup with a double off the fence and was able to advance to third on a sacrifice bunt.
He was stranded at the end of the game as the game ended on a pop up and a grounder to the infield.
Donnelly was 2-3 in the game with a homerun, a walk, and three runs. He was named the Player of the Game.
Game two started off offensively for the Diplomats, as they scored five runs with two outs in the first inning.
The Shoremen answered immediately with a run of their own, capitalizing on an error that allowed Donnelly to come home and cut the lead to four. F&M scored in the second, with a no-out sac fly.
WC scored twice in the third inning to cut the lead to 6-3. Donnelly came home on an RBI groundout by Hirschbaum and a two-out single by Tancredi allowed junior Aaron Barclay to come home. F&M managed to score 14 more runs before the ninth inning, when senior Chris Bauers hits a fence clearing shot to lead the inning off.
The Shoremen would score only three more runs before the third out, closing the game at a 23-9 loss.
WC collected 24 hits on the day, as well as six walks and put on three runners from hit by pitches.
The Shoremen will play their next home game on Saturday, April 7 at 3:30 p.m.