AUBURNDALE, Fla. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Franklin & Marshall College hit two grand slams as part of a nine-run fourth inning as the Diplomats blanked the New Jersey City University baseball team, 12-0, in game two of its spring trip at the RussMatt College Spring Break Invitational at Lake Myrtle Park on March 10. The game was called after seven innings.
After losing a heartbreaking 12-11 contest late Saturday night in a game that lasted more than four hours, the Gothic Knights (0-2) couldn't bounce back as its pitching staff walked more batters (10) than hits allowed (8). F&M, which also shutout RIT—NJCU's opponent on Monday—in an earlier game on Sunday, improved to 5-0 on the season.
Leading 2-0 after three innings, sophomore left fielder Kelsey Launi (Downingtown, Pa.) and senior first baseman Alex Miller (Belle Mead, N.J.) each hit grand slam homers in the fourth inning. The Diplomats only had three hits in the frame but took advantage of seven walks in the inning. F&M also drew a bases-loaded walk to start the damage and make it 3-0, before the margin jumped to 7-0 and 11-0. Junior center fielder Kevin Lammers (Haddon Heights, N.J.) led off the seventh with a solo homer—the third of the game for F&M.
Sophomore right-hander Don DiLoreto (Gladwyne, Pa.) threw the first 3.0 innings of a pre-determined rotation and was credited with the win (0-1), striking out four of the 11 batters he faced while giving up three hits. He was followed by four pitchers who threw an inning apiece.
Junior lefty TJ MacFarland suffered the loss for NJCU, going the first 2.2 innings and allowing two runs and four hits before the Diplomats capitalized off the NJCU bullpen. The Knights used five pitchers. Sophomore righty Ryan Guthrie, making only his third career appearance in relief, was terrific, striking out three of the 10 batters he faced in 3.0 innings of one-hit relief.
Launi was 2-for-3 with four RBIs and two runs while Miller had the four RBIs and scored twice (1-for-2). Sophomore shortstop J.J. Freeman (Downingtown, Pa.) added three RBIs (1-for-2, two runs) and freshman third baseman Will Samuel (Philadelphia, Pa.) scored twice, batting 2-for-3 with a triple. Six of F&M's eight hits went for extra-base hits.
UP NEXT:
NJCU plays its only doubleheader of the trip on Monday, March 11. The Knights meet RIT (1-4) at 10 a.m. on Lake Myrtle Field #1 before facing Concordia College (Minn.) on the Lake Myrtle Park Main Field at approximately 2 p.m.; the Cobbers are 5-3 overall. Watch live on #GothicVision at www.NJCUGothicKnights.com/GothicVision or live stats https://njcugothicknights.com/sidearmstats/baseball/summary.
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