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Box Score 2 LANCASTER, Pa. – Franklin & Marshall split a pair of contests against Washington College on Thursday afternoon at Baker Campus Field in Centennial Conference (CC) softball action. The Diplomats fell 11-2 in game one before edging the Shorewomen 5-3 in the nightcap. The Diplomats stayed tied with Haverford and McDaniel for second place in the CC and moved to 15-3, 5-1 CC, while Washington now sits at 8-12, 3-5 CC.
In game one, the Shorewomen struck first, as Taylor Harcum singled to left center in the top of the second to score Suzanne Patinella and make it a 1-0 game before Kristin Cooper sent a ball over the right-center fence to give Washington a 3-0 advantage. The Shorewomen added another run in the fourth for a 4-0 lead, however in the bottom of the fifth, F&M cut into the lead with one swing when Katie Wenger crushed her second homer of the season to left center, making it a 4-1 contest. Melissa Bollmeyer later singled to center field to score Kelly Van O'Linda and bring the Diplomats to within two at 4-2.
Washington, however, put the game out of reach in the top of the seventh when the Shorewomen sent 11 players to plate and scored seven runs, highlighted by a Hannah Spohn grand slam, as Washington held on in the bottom of the frame and won 11-2.
Bollmeyer finished with two hits and an RBI to lead F&M's offense. Isabel Schaefer (7-2) tossed 5.2 innings and struck out six, but received the loss.
Kristin Cooper (6-3) threw six innings and gave up just one earned while striking out four for the Shorewomen.
In game two of the double header, the Diplomats scored their first runs in the bottom of the second, as Megan Ryan led off the inning with a double to center. After Patricia Crigler singled to advance Ryan to third, Karly Newcomb hit a clutch, two-out two-RBI single to center to give F&M a 2-0 advantage.
The Shorewomen were held scoreless by Justine Lohrey until the top of the sixth, when three straight singles loaded the bases for Washington. After Lohrey enduced a pop-up to shortstop, Kelsey Graham hit a single down the right field line to score two and tie the game at 2-2. Later in the inning, Elaina DiPrimio drew a bases-loaded walk to give the Shorewomen a 3-2 lead.
In the bottom of the frame, Crystal Good ripped a one-hit double to left field, and later, Samantha Burns came up big for the Diplomats with a two-out double to right center, tying the contest at 3-3. Crigler followed with a walk, and Burns advanced to third on a wild pitch. After Crigler stole second, Wenger was down 1-2 in the count, but F&M continued to be clutch, as the freshman singled up the middle to score two and give the Diplomats a 5-3 lead.
In the top of the seventh, Wenger came in and shut down Washington, as F&M earned the split with a 5-3 win.
Lohrey (3-1) went six innings from inside the circle to win the 27th game of her career, tying for third place on F&M's all-time wins list, while Wenger notched her first collegiate save.
The Diplomats are back at Baker Campus Field on Saturday against Haverford with game one of the double header beginning at 1:00 p.m.
