LANCASTER, Pa. – The Franklin & Marshall softball team (5-16, 1-6 CC) earned a split in its Centennial Conference (CC) doubleheader against McDaniel (8-18, 2-8 CC) Sunday afternoon at Baker Campus. The Diplomats rolled to a 6-2 win in game one before falling, 9-7, in game two.

Game 1: Franklin & Marshall 6, McDaniel 2

The Diplomats scored five runs in the third inning to jump out ahead of McDaniel in game one. Stellar pitching from Ainsley McClure shutdown McDaniel's offense as the first-year pitcher tied her season high in strikeouts with 12 in the contest.

Scoreless in the bottom of the second, Kat Gunther worked a lead-off walk and was immediately pinch ran for by Olivia Henderson. A single from Kaitlin Herrick, followed by a sacrifice bunt from Alexa Klepper put two runners in scoring position. Henderson managed to score on an RBI-groundout from Riley Williams to plate the first run of the game.

The Diplomats added onto the lead in the bottom of the third as a double from Jaden Spigner doubled to score Jensen Macaulay. Francesca Testa ripped a double down the left field line to score both Devon Witt and Spigner to give F&M a 4-0 lead. After Gunther walked, Herrick roped a double into left field to score Testa and move Gunther to third. A sacrifice fly from Klepper scored Gunther to extend the F&M advantage to 6-0.

McDaniel scored two in the top of the sixth, but the deficit was too great to overcome as the Diplomats held off the Green Terror to take game one.

Herrick led the Diplomats with two hits, followed by Spigner, Testa, and Witt each tallying one in the contest.

McClure (3-4) earned the win in the circle as she pitched her fifth complete game of the season.

Game 2: McDaniel 9, Franklin & Marshall 7

McDaniel scored five runs in the first inning to jump out to an early lead. F&M made a late charge by scoring four runs in the bottom of the seventh, but were held off to fall in game two.

Trailing 5-0 in the bottom of the first, F&M got two runs back on a two-RBI home run by Gunther. The blast was the senior's fourth of the season.

The Green Terror added to their lead as they scored a pair of runs in both the fifth and sixth innings to extend their lead to 9-2.

In the bottom of the sixth, Klepper's sacrifice fly scored Spigner to make it a 9-3 game.

F&M fought hard in the seventh as the Diplomats loaded the bases. Gunther worked a two-out walk to score LaRosa. The next batter, Hannah Matusiak, doubled to right field score three runs to make it a two-run game. However, McDaniel got the third out on a groundout to extinguish the threat.

Offensively, Gunther and Matusiak each tallied three RBI in the contest.

Franklin & Marshall gets set for a doubleheader at Washington College Tuesday at 3:00 p.m.