WESTMINSTER, Md. -- Franklin & Marshall's bats heated up late in game one, then remained scorching hot for the remainder of the afternoon in a 9-7 come-from-behind extra inning win and 12-1 encore against McDaniel in Centennial Conference (CC) action on Saturday afternoon. With the sweep, the Diplomats continued their surprising start to improve to a Centennial Conference-best 5-1, 5-1 CC while the Green Terror fell to 5-3, 3-3 CC.

Game 1: F&M 9, McDaniel 7 (8 innings)

McDaniel struck early in the first inning, putting two runners on base against Peightyn Schwartz, who was pushed into action after scheduled starter Jill Holobowski was hit by a pitch in the first half of the frame. A two-run double put the Green Terror up 2-0 after the first four batters of the game.

F&M shook off the early deficit immediately. Caitlyn Erdman plated the first run almost single-handedly, doubling to lead off the inning, stealing third, then scoring on a wild pitch. After the Diplomats loaded the bases just a few batters later, Sam Martin laced a single to center field that tied the game at two.

After an Abi Buell single led off the third, it looked like the Green Terror would escape after recording two straight outs. But keen eyes from the Diplomats worked back-to-back-to-back walks to cross another over the plate for a 3-2 lead.

The Diplomats dealt with an almost identical situation in the fourth, giving up a leadoff single and punching out two. But back-to-back two RBI doubles promptly put four runs on the board an a 6-2 advantage for McDaniel. A sacrifice fly in the fifth gave the Green Terror a seemingly unsurmountable 7-3 lead.

But F&M was on the comeback trail in the sixth, pushing one across on an RBI single by Kat Gunther that followed a single-HBP-single stretch to trim the lead to 7-4.

The comeback was completed in the seventh. After a Hannah Salvucci double, a Devon Witt single and throwing error scored Salvucci and moved Witt to second. Jamie Belfer lined a double to left in the next at-bat, scoring Witt and cutting the lead to 7-6. Jill Holobowski made her return to the game in a pinch-hit situation for Schwartz, and tied the game with a fielder's choice to short.

The Diplomat offense refused to relent in the extra frame. Abi Buell singled to right, Ella Glenn walked, and Frankie Testa brought them both home with a one-out double to center for the final 9-7 margin. Holoboski (2-0) polished off the bottom of the eighth in order for a victory that saw her replaced as a starter, reenter the game, and record the final six outs for the win.

Jamie Belfer continued her hot hitting with a 3-for-5 effort, while Sam Martin, Kat Gunther, Abi Buell, and Devon Witt turned in two-hit performances. Peightyn Schwartz tossed six innings, giving up six earned in what turned into a spot start.

Game 2: F&M 12, McDaniel 1

The Diplomat bats refused to cool off in the second game staking an early 3-0 lead in the first. Abi Buell's RBI single and Caitlyn Erdman's two-RBI double put F&M on top. A Hannah Salvucci RBI single in the third, followed by Ella Glenn coming home on a passed ball and a run-scoring single from Jamie Belfer made it 6-0 in the fourth.

The Green Terror scored their only run in the sixth on a fielder's choice, temporarily ending the F&M streak and narrowing the lead to 6-1.

The hits kept coming for F&M in the seventh, as the Diplomats put up a six-spot in the inning. After three straight singles, Frankie Testa drew a bases loaded walk to add another run to push the lead back to six at 7-1. Kat Gunther drove in one more with a pinch hit single, moving everyone up a base. Devon Witt promptly cleared the bases with a triple, then scored herself on a wild pitch for the 12-1 final.

Jill Holoboski (3-0) twirled a complete game for F&M, allowing only a single run on six hits. Holoboski lowered her ERA to a miniscule 0.54 in 13 innings of work, good enough for second in the CC.

Four Diplomats turned in multi-hit games, paced by Devon Witt's 2-for-4, 3 RBI performance. Jamie Belfer continued her torrid hitting with her 2-for-4 day, now with 12 hits in her first 20 at-bats, which leads the Centennial. Hanna Salvucci and Abi Buell each went 2-for-3 with 1 RBI.

Up Next:

The Diplomats return home to their friendly confines for doubleheader action on Saturday, April 17th. Opening pitches slated for 1pm and 3pm against Washington College.