CHESTERTOWN, Md. – The Franklin & Marshall softball team split a pair of contests with No. 20 Washington in both teams' Centennial Conference (CC) opener on Saturday afternoon. The Diplomats (10-6, 1-1 CC) defeated the Shorewomen (12-2, 1-1 CC) 7-5 in game one before Washington downed F&M 8-1 in game two.

In the first game, the Diplomats scored early as Malorie Sassaman crushed a two-run homerun to right field in the top of the first to give F&M a 2-0 advantage. In the top of the second, Rachel Laufer smacked a pitch to center field for her first homerun of the season to increase the lead to 3-0. Later in the inning, Caroline Abin added a double to center field that scored Sarah Kirk to put the Diplomats up 4-0.

In the bottom of the second inning, the Shorewomen got on the board when Christine Anderson grounded to Sassaman to score Kylie Nottingham and cut the deficit to 4-1. Then, Suzanne Patinella hit an RBI-singled down the left field line in the bottom of the third to make it a 4-2 contest. Kristin Cooper followed with an RBI-double to right field to make it 4-3, and Claire Mattox singled to second base to score Cooper and tie the game at 4-4. 

In the bottom of the seventh, with the game tied at 5-5, Laufer added to an impressive day by doubling to left center field to score Megan Ryan and put F&M back on top 6-5. A Kirk single that scored Laufer would add an insurance run for the Diplomats as Washington was held scoreless in the bottom of the seventh to preserve the 7-5 win.

Laufer finished game one going 3-for-4 with two doubles and a homerun and two RBI's for F&M, while Kirk and Abin each notched three hits. Justine Lohrey (6-1) pitched well in relief to earn the victory as she threw three innings and only surrendered one hit.

In the nightcap, the Diplomats got on the board in the top of the first inning when Laufer singled to left field to score Sassaman and give F&M an early 1-0 lead. However, that is all Shorewomen pitching would allow as Christine Anderson held the Diplomats scoreless the rest of the contest.

Up 3-1 in the bottom of the fifth, Washington tacked on three more runs to increase the lead to 6-1 before the Shorewomen added two more runs in the bottom of the sixth when Nottingham knocked an RBI-single to right field and Patinella followed with another RBI-single to make it an 8-1 lead. 

Abin, Sassaman, Laufer and Caitlin Brust recorded a hit for F&M, while Lohrey, who came in as a relief pitcher, was charged with the loss. 

The Diplomats return to the field on Tuesday when F&M travels to Collegeville to take on Ursinus. Game one of the doubleheader is scheduled to start at 3:00 p.m.