WESTMINISTER, Md. – Franklin & Marshall opened its Centennial Conference (CC) baseball schedule splitting a doubleheader with McDaniel on Saturday afternoon. The Green Terror took the first game 6-3 and the Diplomats picked up a 6-0 victory in the second contest.

Matt Valente pitched a complete game shutout in the second game. Valente allowed just three hits in nine innings of work and improved to 2-1 on the season.

Will Benenson went 2-for-4 from the plate with three RBIs and one run scored. Aaron Gillette hit 3-for-4 with a run and a RBI. Matt Will and Patrick Andrews each knocked in a run for the Diplomats.

F&M (9-9, 1-1 CC) scored first with a run in the second inning.  Andrews plated Eric Bornstein with a two-out single to right field.  Will got the second run across the plate in third inning. Gillette started off the frame with a single to left field and stole second to give F&M a runner in scoring position. Will's single scored Gillette for a 2-0 game.

Gillette's two-out single scored Benenson in the fourth inning for a 3-0 F&M lead. The Diplomats tallied two in the top of the fifth to take a 5-0 advantage. With two outs, Mike Amabile walked and then stole second. Blue Wells and Bornstein both received a free pass in the next at-bats to load the bases.  Benenson drove the ball to right center scoring Wells and Amabile.

The Diplomats added one more run in the ninth on a Benenson sacrifice fly for the 6-0 final.

McDaniel (7-6, 1-1 CC) scored four runs in the bottom of fifth to go ahead 5-3, and added one more in sixth, for the 6-3 victory in the first game. The Green Terror lit the scoreboard first with a run in the first inning, before the Diplomats answered with three in the second.

Bornstein started off the inning with a single and stole second.  Kevin Shields picked up a single two batters later, moving Bornstein to third. Shields stole second and Andrews walked to load the bases.  Alex Vescera reached on fielder's choice in the next at-bat when Bornstein was thrown out at home.  Will hit a single to center, clearing the bases, for a 3-1 F&M lead.  

Zach Jones settled in on the mound for McDaniel and kept the Diplomats off the board the remainder of the game. Jones picked up the victory and improved to 3-1 on the season. Brendan DeMond took the loss and fell to 0-1.

Franklin & Marshall returns to the diamond tomorrow with a 1 p.m. game against Elizabethtown at Caplan field.

McDaniel 6, Franklin & Marshall 3 (Mar 26, 2011 at Westminster, Md.) (Game 1)
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Franklin & Marshall. 030 000 0 -  3  6  2      (8-9, 0-1 CC)
McDaniel............ 100 041 X -  6 10  0      (7-5, 1-0 CC)
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Pitchers: Franklin & Marshall - Brendan DeMond; Mike Duranti(5); Evan Lang(6); Brendan McCreary(6) and Patrick Andrews. McDaniel - Z Jones; J Chiorello(7) and C Longo.
Win-Z Jones(3-1)  Save-J Chiorello(1)  Loss-Brendan DeMond(0-1)  T-2:15  A-63
Weather: chilly, sunny
B DeMond faced 2 batters in the 5th.

 
 
Franklin & Marshall 6, McDaniel 0 (Mar 26, 2011 at Westminster, Md.) (Game 2)
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Franklin & Marshall. 011 120 001  -  6 12  1      (9-9, 1-1 CC)
McDaniel............ 000 000 000  -  0  3  1      (7-6, 1-1 CC)
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Pitchers: Franklin & Marshall - Matt Valente and Patrick Andrews. McDaniel - D Snight; M Bejsiuk(6); M Freeman(8); G Fricchione(9) and C Longo.
Win-Matt Valente(2-1)  Loss-D Snight(1-1)  T-2:15  A-0
Weather: chilly, sunny