May 3, 2008

Box Score

BALTIMORE - Haverford's seniors were 0-11 against Franklin & Marshall heading into the second elimination game of the 2008 Centennial Conference Championships. Louis DeRosa's walk off single into leftfield gave the Fords (27-13-1) their first win over the Diplomats (19-17) in six seasons, a 10-9 victory in a see-saw battle.

DeRosa went 5-for-5 from the nine-spot with three RBIs and a pair of runs scored. His walk off single squeaked under the glove of a sprawling Bill Murray, plating Bobby Bailey. Bailey pinch ran for the Fords' catcher, Will Stafford, who led off the frame wearing a curveball to the helmet. Haverford loaded the bases without an out to set the table for DeRosa.

F&M had the early jump piling up four runs on five hits in the top of the first, including the first of Tom Miller's three hits and four RBI's on the day.

The Fords chipped away over the first two innings with Charlie Carluccio scoring on a Drew Wilcox single in the first. Carluccio plated DeRosa for the second run of the second to make it 4-3.

Miller extended the lead to 5-3 with the first of his two home runs in the game. His second home run was his fourth of the season, a two-run shot to left in the eighth that made it 9-8 in favor of the Fords. That hit prompted a pitching change, bringing Carluccio to the mound. The first batter he faced, Dan Farnsworth, hit a home run in the same location, giving F&M its first back-to-back homers this season.

The homer fueled comeback was necessary following a four-run sixth inning for the Fords. Chris Dooley accounted for half of the runs in the inning with a two-run homer over the rightfield fence. Dooley's round-trip made it 6-5 in favor of the Fords. Wilcox scored DeRosa to make it 7-5 before F&M was able to work out.

The Diplomats got one back on a Mark Minutaglio sacrifice fly in the seventh, but the Fords responded with two of their own in the bottom of that innings, making it 9-6 beofre the Diplomats bats went to work in the eigth.

Murray started the inning off with a single, and scored on Miller's home run. Murray was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI. Jason Anderson also recorded a pair of hits and an RBI for F&M.

Dooley and Stafford each picked up three hits for Haverford, with each scoring twice and Dooley driving in a pair. Stafford drove in one of the Fords runs. Carluccio's bid for a save turned into a decision. He improved to 4-2 in taking the win.