LANCASTER, Pa. – An 8-1 loss in game one followed by a hard-fought 7-5 defeat in game two handed Franklin & Marshall a pair of tough results on Thursday afternoon against York (Pa.) in non-conference softball action. The Diplomats fell to 2-12, while the Spartans improved to 14-8.

York jumped ahead early in the opener, stringing together four hits to take a 4-0 lead in the top of the second. Another run in the fourth and a two-run home run in the fifth gave the Spartans a 7-0 edge, while F&M was yet to register a hit.

That changed in the bottom of the sixth as Kelly Van O'Linda led off for the Diplomats by sending a rope down the left field line for a double. A single from Erin Russell moved Van O'Linda to third before Crystal Good singled to left to record an RBI and get F&M on the board. However, the remaining runners were left stranded and York held a 7-1 lead entering the seventh.

The Spartans added an insurance run in the top half of the seventh and the Diplomats were unable to generate any momentum, giving York the 8-1 win.

Katie Wenger (1-6) took the loss for F&M, striking out four and giving up eight earned in seven innings of work.

Ginger Lewis took the win for York, allowing the Diplomats just the three sixth-inning hits.

The Spartans took an early lead in the second game as well, using a pair of doubles to take a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. F&M was quick to respond, tying the score at 1-1 in the bottom of the second as Wenger blasted her first home run of the year to left center field.

The Spartans tallied two more runs in the fourth thanks to three consecutive doubles. However, the Diplomat bats again responded in the bottom of the fifth, beginning when Van O'Linda crushed her second extra-base hit of the day with a triple to right. Russell singled up the middle to drive in Van O'Linda, and after five the Diplomats trailed 3-2.

York surged ahead 4-2 with another run in the top of the sixth, but Wenger led the F&M bats with her second long ball of the day to lead off the bottom of the inning, this time clearing the fence in right center. Singles from Ryan Correa and Izzy Schaefer again set the table for Van O'Linda, who lined into the gap between left and center field to plate two and give F&M a 5-4 lead heading into the seventh.

A double and a single allowed York to tie the game at five in the seventh, and the Diplomats were unable to work around a walk from Lexi Piccinich in the home half, moving the game into extra innings.

York took full advantage, using a triple and a sac fly to pull ahead by two in the eighth, and shutting down the F&M hitters to win 7-5.

Taylor Long and Van O'Linda each tagged three hits for the Diplomats while Wenger and Van O'Linda both tallied a pair of RBIs. The two home runs gave Wenger her first multi-homer game and eight total fourbaggers for her career.

Russell tallied the fifth RBI for the F&M offense, while Christine Miles also added a multi-hit game with a 2-for-3 day at the plate.

Schaefer (1-6) took the loss for the Diplomats, allowing six earned in eight innings. Lewis (5-4) again earned the win for York, allowing four earned in five innings of relief.

F&M returns to Baker Campus on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. for a Centennial Conference doubleheader with Haverford.