ELIZABETHTOWN, PA - Elizabethtown College shortstop Lauren Dressler stole third base and scored on a passed ball in the bottom of the 10th inning as the host Blue Jays outlasted Franklin & Marshall College 3-2 in the first game of a scheduled non-conference doubleheader. Game two of the doubleheader was called in the third inning due to darkness with the Diplomats leading 5-2.

Trailing 1-0 in the top of the sixth inning, the Diplomats pushed a run across the plate as pitcher Bonnie Crouthamel (So., Chatham, NJ/Chatham) doubled to left field with two outs, advanced to third on a fielding error by Tanya Konek at second base and scored on an error by Lauren Hoover at third base to tie the game at 1-1.

Franklin & Marshall took the lead 2-1 in the eighth inning as leftfielder Krystin Alex (Fr., Melville, NY/St. Anthony) was placed on second base to start the inning and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by shortstop Jessika Mancino (Fr., Lancaster, PA/Hempfield). Centerfielder Dana Johns (Sr., York, PA/Eastern York) singled to drive in Alex for a one runs lead.

Elizabethtown tied the game in the bottom of the inning as Konek was placed on second base and moved to third with two outs on a ground out by Kelly Johnson. Abbie Merrifield singled to left field to score Konek to tie the game at 2-2.

The Blue Jays had a chance to win the game in the bottom of the eighth as Claire Davis pinch ran for Merrifield and advanced to third base on a walk to Lauren Hoover and a passed ball. Katie Heffner walked to load the bases for Elizabethtown with two outs, but Crouthamel struck out Allison McMullen swinging to put the game into the ninth inning.

Neither team could score in the ninth as both teams advanced their runners to third base, but could not manage a game winning hit, passed ball, wild pitch or bases loaded walk.

Franklin & Marshall's best chance to go ahead again in extra innings came in the top of the 10th as Samantha Basuk (Fr, New York, NY/Indian Hills) was placed on second base and moved to third on a fielding error by Hoover at third base to allow rightfielder Leah Pearlman-Storch (Jr., Bala Cynwood, PA/Friends Central) to reach first base. Pearlman-Storch stole second base to put runners on second and third with no outs, but Elizabethtown pitcher Alex Lee worked out of the jam getting Alex to fly out to centerfield, fanning Mancino and getting Johns to pop up back to the circle to keep the game tied at 2-2 and set up the Blue Jays' game-winning run in the bottom of the 10th.

The Blue Jays went ahead midway through the game as Merrifield led off the fourth inning with a solo home run off Crouthamel for a 1-0 lead.

Overall, the game was a pitchers duel as Lee allowed two runs on two hits, four errors and one walk with 16 strikeouts in 10.0 innings, while Crouthamel allowed three runs on three hits, two errors and nine walks with 12 strikeouts.

At the plate, Johns finished one-for-four with an RBI, while Crouthamel was one for four with a run scored for the Diplomats.

Merrifield led the Blue Jays finishing two-for-three with a run scored and two RBI, while centerfielder Kelli Thon was one-for-three.

Franklin & Marshall (3-14, 0-0 Centennial Conference) will continue the season on March 30 versus York College of Pennsylvania in a non-conference doubleheader at Baker Field. Game one is set for a 2:30 p.m. start.