LANCASTER, Pa. – Playing the first of what could be multiple matchups in the coming weeks, No. 8 Gettysburg took the first chapter in the 2023 story by a 14-5 margin against the No. 10 Franklin & Marshall women's lacrosse team on Wednesday night. The Bullets jumped in front with an 8-1 run to close the final 20-plus minutes of the opening half before finishing another strong quarter with five more goals during the fourth.

Maddy Birch and Lane Lambeth both tallied multiple goals for the Diplomats, with Lydia Cassilly adding three more points after a goal and two assists. The Bullets got three hat tricks on the night, including a five-point performance from reigning national player of the week Jordan Basso.

Franklin & Marshall looked very impressive during the first 10-plus minutes of the evening, especially on the defensive end as Gettysburg did not score its first goal until the 4:58 mark of the opening period. The Diplomats took advantage of an early woman-up advantage as Lambeth found Cassilly at the 10:42 mark. When the Bullets did finally break through late in the first quarter, the goals started to come more regularly as Gettysburg took an 8-2 lead at the half. Only Lambeth's goal with six seconds remaining in the first quarter broke up that Bullet surge.

The Diplomats did outscore the Bullets 2-1 during the third quarter as Lambeth and Birch both found the back of the twine. Despite trimming the lead to five goals - 9-4 with 15 minutes to play - Gettysburg scored the first four goals of the final quarter to add to its lead and eventual 14-5 victory.

Franklin & Marshall goalie Alyssa Moran made 11 saves on the night. Both Belle Dintino and Megan Bizub caused two turnovers to aid the defensive effort. The Diplomats did hold a 14-9 advantage in draw controls, with reigning Centennial Conference Player of the Week Madison Bray grabbing five of those draws in addition to another assist. The Bullets impressed with five free-position goals and limited F&M to just 14 of 20 on its clearing attempts.

Women's lacrosse will now look to bounce back Saturday when the Diplomats host Haverford for Senior Day. That rematch of last year's Centennial Conference semifinal will get underway at 3 p.m. after the Class of 2023 is honored during a pregame ceremony. The Diplomats and Fords are currently tied for second place in the Centennial Conference standings with three games remaining in the regular season.