CARLISLE, Pa. – The Franklin & Marshall softball team earned a split against Dickinson on Saturday in Centennial Conference (CC) action, dropping the first contest 4-0 before claiming a 7-2 victory in the nightcap. The Diplomats moved to 14-18, 6-8 CC with the pair of decisions while the Red Devils' record now sits at 14-20, 5-9 CC.

F&M was limited to only four hits in the opening game, including two doubles from Malorie Sassaman. Dickinson broke the 0-0 tie in the bottom of the third when a two-out single scored a pair of runners to give the Red Devils the 2-0 lead.

In the fifth, Dickinson tacked on two more runs, off a single and a sacrifice fly, to make the score 4-0. Sassaman doubled in the top of the seventh with two outs on the board but the Diplomats went down swinging in their next at bat to close out the contest.

Kaitlin Zampino (6-11) was credited with the loss after allowing four earned and striking out two in six innings of work. Chelsea Homa (9-8) earned the win for the Red Devils after pitching a complete-game shutout and striking out 13 hitters at the plate.

Sassaman reached base three times for F&M, with two doubles and a walk, in a 2-for-3 effort on the game.

In the nightcap, the Diplomats wasted little time generating offense, taking an early 1-0 lead when Sassaman crossed the plate courtesy of an error by Dickinson's catcher.

A Patricia Crigler single in the next frame scored Ashley Hartshorn from third and gave F&M the 2-0 advantage. In the top of the fourth, Danielle Murphy doubled with one out to score Crigler and Caitlin Brust to put the Diplomats up 4-0.

Reining CC Player of the Week Sam DeNoville capped off the four-run inning with a single of her own, scoring Sassaman and Murphy on the play as F&M took the 6-0 lead.

Dickinson cut into the six-run advantage in the bottom of the fourth with two runs on four hits to close the gap to 6-2. However, the Diplomats added an insurance run in the sixth when Murphy scored on a wild pitch en route to the five-run win.

Justine Lohrey (8-7) provided a solid outing to earn the win, allowing only two earned on 12 hits in seven innings.  Homa (9-9) was charged with the loss, lasting only 3.2 frames and allowing five earned.

As a team, F&M combined for nine hits and three walks on the afternoon with Sassaman, Crigler and Murphy each collecting two hits in the contest. The Diplomats caused havoc on the base pads, picking up nine stolen bases.

F&M returns to the field on Tuesday in a non-conference doubleheader against Eastern. Game one is slated for a 3:00 p.m. start.