Winter Haven, FL – Senior Will Coleman was saddled with a loss in a game one pitchers' duel, but the Clarkson University Baseball team recovered for a win in the nightcap on an extra-inning double by Ernesto Ruiz-Sierra to gain a doubleheader split against Franklin & Marshall on Saturday night at the Chain O' Lakes Stadium.

The Golden Knights split their doubleheader for the second straight day, moving to 2-2 on the season. The Diplomats are now 5-6-1 through 12 games.

In the opener, the Diplomats' Jack Buckley and Clarkson's Will Coleman matched zeroes until the seventh inning, with Coleman finally relenting and allowing two runs (one earned) in the seventh.

Clarkson truly threatened to score only in the bottom of the first inning when Brad Pearson delivered a two-out triple, but cleanup hitter Zack Riccardi was retired on a ground out to end the inning. It was the last time that the Knights would have a runner in scoring position, but the Diplomats could not solve Coleman, either. Franklin & Marshall put a runner in scoring position for the first time in the top of the sixth when Andrew Poirier reached second with a one-out double, but that was as far as he would go. However, the Diplomats plated two in the seventh to break the scoreless tie. Dan Marzano led off with a double and scored on a Matthew Kann single to make it 1-0. A few batters later Kevin Lammers came all the way around from first on a single that was mishandled in the outfield to give the Diplomats an extra run.

Coleman went seven strong innings, allowing five hits with no walks while striking out eight. Buckley was even better, striking out seven with just three and no walks in a complete-game effort.

Game two saw the Diplomats take a 2-0 lead early, but Clarkson broke through with four runs in the top of the sixth to end their shutout streak against Franklin & Marshall. Justin Cavegn plated Don DiLoreto with a single in the bottom of the second and Kengo Kawahara singled home Cavegn in the bottom of the fifth to give the Diplomats a 2-0 lead through five. Clarkson had modest scoring chances in the second and fourth, putting runners on second in both innings, but each time there were already two outs in the inning. That changed in the top of the sixth when Duda led off with a walk and moved to second on a Ben Knauf single. Coleman reached on a fielder's choice and Pearson singled home Duda in a first-and-third situation to break Clarkson's 12-inning scoreless streak in the doubleheader. The Knights were not done, though, as Krick singled home Coleman to tie the game and after a Ernesto Ruiz-Sierra walk loaded the bases, Vincent Granuzzo sent Pearson and Krick around the bases with a two-out, two-run single.

Franklin & Marshall tied the game in the bottom half of the sixth on run-scoring singles from Max Schwartz and Cavegn, but the Knights would go home with a win thanks to a two-out double by Ruiz-Sierra plated Mike Bonk in the top of the eighth. Reliever Ethan Kornbrek retired the final three hitters of the game with two groundouts and a strikeout.

Kornbrek picked up the win in the nightcap, retiring all seven hitters he face in 2.1 innings of work. Both Pearson and Krick went 2-for-4 with a run scored and one run driven in.