By Gabby Goodwin || Sports Editor
In a baseball-filled Saturday, this past weekend, F&M Baseball traveled to McDaniel and swept the Green Terror 14-1 and 9-5 in the double-header games. In the first game of the two, the Dips jumped on McDaniel from the start, scoring runs in each of the four opening innings. F&M’s Dan Marano got the scoring started in the top of the first with a sacrifice fly, sending F&M’s Kengo Kawahara home from third.
In the second, three runs on four hits, including a two-RBI double from Kawahara and an RBI double to left center from Marano, gave F&M a 4-0 edge only at the top of the second. In the fourth inning, the Dips truly cracked down on the bats to take a 9-0 lead over the Green Terror. With four runs on four hits, F&M’s Kyle Ebert clenched a two-RBI double and F&M’s Max Schwartz ended the inning with a two-out, RBI double.
F&M added three runs on three hits in the seventh, and F&M’s Connor Green drove in two more with a single to left field in the eighth.
Marano finished the game 3-for-5, with four RBIs and a run scored. Kawahara and Schwartz also finished 3-for-5, with three runs scored and two RBIs from the leadoff spot and two runs scored from Schwartz. F&M’s Dan Baroff went 2-for-2 from off the bench, and F&M’s shortstop Andrew Poirier went 2-for-3 with two runs scored. F&M’s starting pitcher, Jack Buckley, only allowed just one earned on six hits, and struck out six in his seven-inning performance.
In game two of the series, tied at 5-5 in the top of the seventh, F&M’s Jimmy Whelan led off the inning with a double to right field, followed by a single from Marano to right, placing runners on the corners with no outs. Baroff grounded into a double play at second, however, the distraction was enough to send Whelan across the plate to take a 6-5 advantage.
In need of some insurance runs in the eighth, two singles in the inning put the Dips out in front by two, followed by an RBI double by Whelan and a bases-loaded walk from F&M’s Dan DiLoreto to seal the deal, adding two more in the ninth.
Marano finished game two with a 3-for-5 effort and one RBI. Kawahara was 2-for-3, scoring three runs, and leading off the game with a home run in the top of the first. Whelan went 3-for-4, with three runs scored and two RBIs, and Blugis went 2-for-5 with one RBI.
F&M’s reliever, Jared Schott, earned the win with two innings of work, and DiLoreto picked up is second save of the season by striking out one and throwing three scoreless final innings.
With a great day of conference play all around for F&M Baseball, they improved to 15-13-2 overall and 8-5-1 in conference. Today, F&M faces off against Elizabethtown for a 4pm game in some non-conference play at Caplan Field.
Sophomore Gabby Goodwin is the Sports Editor. Her email is ggoodwin@fandm.edu.