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Box Score 2 LANCASTER, Pa. - The Franklin & Marshall softball team dropped to Washington College in a doubleheader during Centennial Conference (CC) action Thursday afternoon at Baker Field. The Shorewomen held the Diplomats to a shutout during game one, then overcame a 3-2 F&M lead during game two of the sweep.
Game 1: Washington College 6, Franklin & Marshall 0
Kate Clement set a strong tone early for the Diplomats in the first inning, smacking a triple to right field with one out before she was stranded left stranded in scoring position. Defensive miscues haunted F&M during the second inning. Despite surrendering just two hits, the four runs scored by the Shorewomen were a result of two unearned runs caused by a passed ball, a bases loaded walk, and a wild pitch.
Kayla Kilmer doubled to left field in the bottom of the fourth inning, putting another running in scoring position that was left stranded on the base paths. Washington polished off its 6-0 shutout in the sixth inning after a Megan Robbins RBI single through the right side scored two Shorewomen.
Peightyn Schwartz and Kilmer shared pitching duties, as the duo both surrendered two just earned runs. Kilmer finished her after in the circle with three strikeouts. Clement recorded a multi-hit game, going 2-for-2 during her only official plate appearances.
Game 2: Washington College 6, Franklin & Marshall 4
During the second game, F&M's offense put even more traffic on the bases as the Diplomats registered nine hits. Nevertheless, it was the Shorewomen that found the scoreboard first via a bases load walk.
Hanna Maier helped get that run back during the second inning with an RBI double that scored
Francesca Testa after she originally reached on a fielder's choice. The subsequent inning saw the Diplomats take a 3-1 lead after Klepper blasted a two-run home run over that field featured Klepper's homer to left field to score
Jamie Belfer. Klepper's home run was her second of the year after she originally homered during the home opener against Juniata. Belfer started that inning with a leadoff single to centerfield before coming around to score.
After a quiet fourth frame offensively by both clubs, Washington's Robbins ripped an RBI double in the fifth inning to center field to narrow F&M's lead to 3-2. The Shorewomen piled on two more runs during the sixth inning to regain a 4-3 lead as Washington scored off an RBI single to third base and a wild pitch.
F&M responded at the bottom of the frame as
Jamie Belfer's RBI single to left field scored
Jaden Spigner to tie the conference contest at four-all. Belfer's hit was her 55th of the season, tying her for second all-time in one single season in F&M history. Malorie Sassaman originally accomplished that feat during the 2014 season.
Washington College took the lead for good with two runs during the top of the seventh. Maddy Kendall's RBI double to center field and a wild pitch led to those eventual game-winning runs. The Diplomats threatened in the bottom of the seventh as
Kat Gunther singled up the middle to bring the potential tying run to the plate before the Shorewomen escaped any damage.
First-year
Charlotte Dwyer threw her fourth complete game in seven starts, striking on nine during the second game. Belfer and Clement both had multi-hit games as each went 2-for-4 at the plate.
Up Next:
F&M returns to action this Saturday at Haverford for a Centennial Conference doubleheader that will get underway at 1 p.m.
