LANCASTER, Pa. – The Elizabethtown College baseball team fell to Franklin & Marshall, 4-1, in non-conference action Tuesday afternoon.

With the loss, the Blue Jays fall to 8-3 on the season, while the Diplomats improve to 4-4.

Sophomore Robbie Bertucio went 4-4 with an RBI, while junior JT Thompson was 1-3 with a run scored. Senior Derek finished the afternoon with three hits.

Freshman Tommy Denlinger registered a game-high two RBI for Franklin & Marshall.

Elizabethtown took the early lead in the top of the second. Thompson led off the inning with a single to left field and then moved to second after a sacrifice bunt by senior Riley McGinley. Bertucio then stepped in and singled to left center, plating Thompson and giving the Blue Jays the early 1-0 advantage.

The Diplomats, however, moved to the front scoring a run in the third and a run in the fourth, and then pushed its lead to three with two runs in the bottom of the eighth.

In the top of the ninth, Elizabethtown brought the tying run to the plate with runners on the corner and one out, but junior Don DiLoreto forced the next two batters to fly out to right field and center field to secure the 4-1 win.

The Blue Jays used eight different pitchers on the afternoon, allowing four earned runs on seven hits and striking out 10 batters.

Sophomore Kyle Roche (1-2) took home the victory for the Diplomats, going seven innings and allowing one earned run on seven hits, striking out one. DiLoreto recorded his first save of the season, pitching a scoreless ninth.

Elizabethtown opens Landmark Conference play this Saturday, Mar. 14 at Catholic. First pitch of game one is set for 12:30 p.m.