LANCASTER, Pa.-- The Franklin & Marshall softball team fell in a pair of closely-contested contests at home against McDaniel in Centennial Conference action on Saturday. The Diplomats pounded out 11 hits, but fell 3-1 during the opening game. F&M then held a 2-1 lead going into the seventh inning of game two before a three-run home from the Green Terror snatched that victory out of the Diplomats' grasp.

Game 1: McDaniel 3, Franklin & Marshall 1

McDaniel erupted early on in game one, knocking scoring two runs on three hits during the first inning and adding another in the second to claim the early 3-0 lead. That would prompt a pitching change for the Diplomats as Kayla Kilmer came on in relief and dazzled with 5.2 shutout innings while scattering nine hits. That pitching prowess included working out of bases loaded jams during the third and fifth innings.

The Diplomats certainly had their chances as they had traffic on the base paths all afternoon. Nevertheless, they just could not seem to come up with the timely hit as they left 11 runners on base. Alexa Klepper, Kat Gunther, and Francesca Testa each had a pair of hits in the game as eight different F&M hitters reached on a base hit.

F&M did manage to push across a run during the bottom of the seventh inning as Klepper doubled into left field for the team's lone extra base hit of the afternoon. She scored after Kate Clement beat out an infield single as the throw got away to allow Klepper to scamper home. That run came just two innings after one of the many chances the Diplomats had with multiple runners on base, only to have a loud out off the bat of Kilmer silence that scoring chance.

Game 2: McDaniel 4, Franklin & Marshall 2

The Green Terror also took the early lead during game two with a two-out RBI single during the top of the first. However, first-year pitcher Charlotte Dwyer would settle in nicely for the rest of her outing as she allowed just that one run while striking out five and scattering seven hits over her 4.2 innings of work.

This allowed the Diplomats to work their way back into the game offensively. F&M continued to put traffic on base thoughout game two, but continued to be denied the key hit. That included putting a pair of runners in scoring position with one out during the third inning before being turned away. The offense was finally able to break through in the fifth inning as Jamie Belfer delivered a leadoff single into right field and scored easily on a one-out triple from Klepper.

After a pop-up on the infield, Gunther put the ball in play and was rewarded with a defensive miscue from the Green Terror. That two-out mistake allowed F&M to take a 2-1 lead heading into the final two innings as line drive off the bat of Testa was snagged out of mid-air, denying the Diplomats the chance at two more runs in the inning.

Brilliant defense helped F&M carry that lead into the seventh inning as Brenda Garcia fielded a bunt with a runner and third and was able to get her throw to the plate in time to cut down the potential game-tying run. However, the Green Terror had the final say just one inning later as Makayla Calamita blasted a three-run home run over the left field fence, giving McDaniel a 4-2 lead. F&M put one runner on during its final at-bat, but could do no more to threaten the Green Terror lead. The top three hitters in the F&M lineup: Belfer, Devon Witt, and Klepper each had a pair of hits to pace the offense in game two, but nine runners left on base loomed large once again in the final score.

Up Next:

Franklin & Marshall will have a very quick turnaround with a chance to get back in the win column as the Diplomats travel to Gettysburg on Sunday. The Bullets and Diplomats finished first and second in the Centennial Conference standings just one year ago. First pitch in that doubleheader at Gettysburg is scheduled for 1 p.m.