LANCASTER, Pa. – Sophomore
Myles Burbank (Rye, N.Y./Rye) held Franklin & Marshall College to just four hits over eight innings and three different Bullets posted three hits and two runs as Gettysburg College took down the Diplomats 10-2 on Tuesday.
Gettysburg (15-14, 4-7 CC) received its longest outing from a starting pitcher this spring as Burbank finished one inning shy of his first career complete game. Burbank did not allow a hit until the fourth inning and stranded six runners through the first seven innings. Franklin & Marshall (19-12, 6-5 CC) didn't muster any offense until the eighth inning when J.J. Freeman and Danny Blugis led off with back-to-back hits and came around to score on a pair of fielder's choices later in the frame.
The last two hitters in the Gettysburg lineup –
Mark Seibert (Yardley, Pa./Holy Ghost Prep) and
Shane Manieri (Harleysville, Pa./La Salle) – and lead-off hitter
Matt Szczesny (Schwenksville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley) combined to go 9-for-14 with six runs and four RBI. Seibert brought home the Bullets' first run with a two-out double in the second inning.
The trio sparked Gettysburg in the fifth inning by loading the bases with no outs. Fielding issues by the Diplomats contributed to the first two runs, while junior
Ryan LaCoe (Hershey, Pa./Hershey) brought home two more with a single up the middle to push the lead to 5-0.
The Bullets doubled the advantage with five more runs in the eighth inning. Seibert, Manieri, and Szczesny were at the heart of the offense with the two first-years tallying back-to-back base hits before both scoring on a single to left field by the sophomore. Junior
Joe Giovinco (Stirling, N.J./Seton Hall Prep) drove home Szczesny with a triple to right-center before scoring the final run on a sacrifice fly by LaCoe.
Senior
Jonny Bray (Fairfax, Va./Robinson) closed the door on the victory by striking out two batters in the final frame.
Szczesny finished 3-for-6 with two runs and two RBI. Seibert reached base in all five of his plate appearances, tallying three hits, a walk, and a hit-by-pitch. Both Seibert and Manieri scored twice and drove in one, with Manieri adding three hits in five at bats. LaCoe finished with three RBI.
Gettysburg hosts Franklin & Marshall Thursday at 3:30 p.m.
