COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – The Ursinus College baseball team added six runs in the sixth inning but were unable to hold on falling to Franklin & Marshall College, 9-6 on Tuesday evening from Caplan Field.
The Diplomats took an early 5-0 lead before a six-run sixth inning gave Ursinus their first lead of the contest. F&M regained an 8-6 lead in the bottom half of the frame before adding an insurance run in the eighth to record the 9-6 Centennial Conference victory. Juniors
Peter Balos and
Jordan Williams paced the Bears lineup recording a base hit and two RBI's apiece, while classmate
Jakob Cantor went 1-for-3 with an RBI and two walks.
The Bears put two runners in scoring position in the top of the first inning as first-year
Barritt Ross and Balos reached base, but a two-out strikeout ended the Ursinus threat. Franklin & Marshall capitalized off two Bears defensive miscues in the first, but junior starting pitching
David Morgan worked through the jam by recording a fly out to strand two runners.
Morgan cruised through his second inning of work allowing a runner to reach via an error, while recording two flyouts and a groundout ending his day on the mound. In the top of the third inning,
Brandon Sullivan, and Cantor each reached base, but the Bears could not push a run across as a flyout, and lineout ended the frame. The Diplomats took a 2-0 lead in during their chance at the plate in the third, capitalizing off two walks and a two-out double from Drew Butera.
After the Bears went down in order in the fourth frame, Franklin & Marshall added three runs to the scoreboard after tallying four hits. The inning started with a single before a foul out and groundout threatened the Diplomats chance at the plate. With a runner on second, F&M recorded three consecutive base hits to extend their advantage to 5-0.
Ursinus responded with four hits in the sixth inning leading to six runs and retaking a 6-5 advantage. Balos led of the frame reaching on a hit-by-pitch before advancing to second on a wild pitch and taking third on a single from junior
Andrew Richter. Next, Williams came through with a double to score two runs and a walk from junior
Cory Burns put the tying run at the plate. A strikeout and fielder's choice threatened the Bears chance, but Ross reached on a throwing error and an infield single from Sullivan loaded the bases for Ursinus. Trailing 5-3, Cantor added an RBI on a free pass while a single into right field from Balos gave Ursinus the one-run advantage.
Franklin & Marshall quickly responded with three runs of their own in the bottom of the sixth inning to regain an 8-6 lead. The Diplomats capitalized off two free passes before a one-out double scored two runs. Senior righty
Matt Tuley recorded the final two outs of the frame via a fly out and groundout to escape the jam.
Cantor reached base via a walk in the eighth and advanced to second on a balk before swiping third base with just one out. Ursinus was unable to provide the base hit needed as a strikeout and groundout closed out the eighth inning. The Bears once again put a runner in scoring position in the ninth inning, but a groundout and line out would end the ballgame with Ursinus falling 9-6.
Ursinus left 12 runners on base compared to just nine for the Diplomats, while each team was credited with three defensive errors. The Bears pitching staff only issued four free passes on the day with the Diplomats issuing nine walks. Franklin & Marshall's Thomas McLaughlin earned the victory out of the bullpen pitching 1.1 innings without allowing a hit and striking out one batter.
The Bears return to action on Wednesday as they hit the road for their fourth consecutive game at Haverford College starting at 3:30 p.m.
