March 25, 2008

Box Score

LANCASTER, Pa. - Ursinus' Zeb Engle worked eight innings, and struck out as many Franklin & Marshall batters in the Bears (8-2, 1-0 CC) 9-3 win over the Diplomats (4-9, 0-1 CC) Tuesday afternoon. Designated hitter, Scott Young, gave the guests all of the run support they needed to ensure the Conference win. The game was the Centennial opener for both teams.

The Diplomats had Engle (3-0) on the ropes in the first inning, getting two on board with one-out. A wild pitch left Mark Minutaglio on third and Jason Anderson on third, but Engle settled in and fanned the fourth and fifth spot in the F&M lineup. Engle, who allowed three runs, two of which were earned, limited F&M's potent offense to eight hits. The Diplomats stranded eight runners in the game, six in the early going.

Cashing in on the early momentum, Ursinus went to work offensively, scoring four runs on five hits and an error in the second inning. Young started the inning off with a single that found a hold on the left side. Brendan Evans followed Young with a double that left two runners in scoring position for Brad Wickersham. The Bears centerfielder singled into deep left-center to score the pair, giving Ursinus a quick 2-0 jump. Two more runners reached, one on an error, before Ben Lockman hit a shot down the rightfield line to make it 4-0. Diplomats starter Dan Tischler (1-3) worked out of the jam with a 4-6-3 double play.

Young drove a run in during the fifth inning to make it 5-0. The Diplomats finally got on the board in the bottom of that frame.

Minutaglio reached second base on a one-out error as the Bears rightfielder and right side of the offense converged on a pop-up in no-man's land. Shea Moriarty pushed him off of second quickly with a poke down the rightfield line to make it 5-1.

Rich Gallugi became the second run after leading off the sixth with a single into the rightfield gap. A wild pitch put him in scoring position, where Bill Murray brought him home on a single into left. Jeff Lawrence plated Murray on a fielder's choice to make it 5-3.

The Bears responded immediately. Getting runners to second and third, F&M elected to intentionally walk Dave Randolph to pitch to Young. Young answered back with a grand slam that put the game away for good.

Young finished the day 3-for-5 with five RBIs and a pair of runs scored. Lockman was 2-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored.

Gallugi went 3-for-4 with a run scored for F&M. Murray went 1-for-4 scoring once and driving a run in.

F&M returns to action on Friday at Ursinus.