LANCASTER, Pa. – The Franklin & Marshall softball team celebrated Senior Day with its final home doubleheader of the regular season on Thursday afternoon against visiting Swarthmore. Inclement weather forced the games to be moved up two days and the Diplomats will more properly honor their seven graduating seniors at a reception on Saturday with all friends and family in attendance.

During both games of the doubleheader, Franklin & Marshall put all seven seniors in the starting lineup before a final curtain during the final innings of game two. Those seniors were Gia Angiolillo, Brenda Garcia, Kat Gunther, Sami LaRosa, Jensen Macaulay, Francesca Testa, and Devon Witt.

Game 1: Swarthmore 7, Franklin & Marshall 3

In the opening game on Thursday afternoon, the Diplomats scored three runs in the bottom of the third and looked to be rallying for a come-from-behind win before the Garnet stopped that momentum and added three insurance runs during the final four innings.

Megan Wiarda and Alexa Klepper started the third inning with consecutive walks before moving into scoring position on a wild pitch. Witt got the first run home with an RBI on the ground where she ultimately ended up at first following a defensive miscue and added to that Swarthmore mistake when she got into scoring position following a stolen base. Fellow seniors Sami LaRosa and Kat Gunther added their own RBI during the inning as F&M cut the early deficit to 4-3.

Even with momentum seeming to be on their side, the Diplomats were unable to get another runner into scoring position after that inning as Garnet starter Emily Bertrand allowed just three hits and two earned runs over her six innings of work before game two starter Sarah Schab closed out the win.

Game 2: Swarthmore 6, Franklin & Marshall 5

Heading into game two, the Diplomats started the bottom half of their first with three straight singles that included an RBI from Francesca Testa to score a run that got F&M out to the 1-0 lead. Testa followed that up with a home run during the third inning that cleared the left field fence and gave the home side a 3-1 advantage.

Nevertheless, one big inning from the Garnet proved costly as they answered that challenge with four runs in the fourth to take a 5-3 lead. Swarthmore later added an RBI groundout in the sixth and ultimately led 6-3 heading into the seventh. With two outs and nobody on, Franklin & Marshall made the Garnet work for the 21st and final out.

Maddy Yeingst started the rally with a walk while Hannah Matusiak brought her around on an RBI double into right field that brought the potential game-tying run to the plate. Matusiak later scored on back-to-back wild pitches and Kaitlin Herrick walked to bring the potential game-winning run to the plate before a ground out halted any further attempts at a walk-off victory.

Up Next

Softball was scheduled to officially wrap up its 2023 season with the resumption of the Ursinus game on Friday afternoon but that has been postponed due to inclement weather. The teams will now try to find another agreeable time in the coming days.