Box Score

LANCASTER, Pa. - The Lebanon Valley College baseball team gave up an early lead, then fell short in a comeback attempt as it lost 12-9, at Franklin & Marshall College Sunday.

The Dutchmen (10-20) lost for the fourth time in a row after a weekend sweep by Albright.

Freshman Jake Becker, normally the team's closer, made his first career start, taking the loss after allowing seven runs in four innings of work. Andrew Pipkin, Matt Kline and Shane Specht combined for four innings of relief.

Down 2-1 after the first inning, LVC took the lead in the third when Bert Malloy's single drove in Brandon Thompson, and Brent Nankerville drew a bases-loaded walk to score John Mentzer.

The Diplomats, however, tied the game with a run in the fourth, but LVC wrestled the lead back with Paul Earle's two-run single to left in the fifth.

The lead didn't last long as F&M broke the game open in the fifth with five runs to take an 8-5 lead it wouldn't give up. The Dips scored two runs in the sixth and seventh innings, and a late three-run rally in the ninth by LVC, which included Corey Lamoureux's two-run single, wasn't enough to catch the Diplomats.

LVC will visit Alvernia on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.