TUCSON, Ariz. - Opening its 2023-24 campaign with the Tuscon Invitational Games, the Franklin & Marshall Softball team won its first two contests off the season, defeating Mount Mary and Wisconsin La-Crosse.

Franklin & Marshall 9, Mount Mary 2

Beginning the day against the Blue Angels, the Diplomats used a late surge to overpower Mount Mary for a season-opening win. After four scoreless innings to start the game, F&M gained momentum in the top of the fifth, when it loaded the bases with two outs. At the plate, Kaitlin Herrick drilled a double that brought Natalia Garza and Gabby Mundy in to score for the first runs of the tilt. 

The very next inning, the Diplomats once again had the bases loaded, after which Garza and Claire Sullivan drew back-to-back walks to bring in two more runs. In the following at-bat, Herrick cleared the bases with her second double in as many innings to put F&M up 7-0. 

The two teams then traded a pair of runs in the final inning, as the Diplomats went on to close out a 9-2 win. Herrick finished the game batting 3-for-4 with two extra-base hits and five RBI. Aliza Sheflin tossed 6.2 strong innings to pick up the win, striking out five batters and allowing one earned run.

Franklin & Marshall 6, Univ. Wisc.-La Crosse 5

In another strong offensive showing, F&M got off to a fast start, scoring five runs inside of the first three frames. In the bottom of the second, Sullivan began the inning with a double before Nora Sidorski knocked her in with a ground-rule double. After Megan Wiarda walked, Hannah Matusiak reached base safely on a fielder's choice, but Sidorski was thrown out at third base on the play. Klepper then drew a walk as well to load the bases, which led to a two-run double by Garza two at-bats later. 

Madison Martin began the bottom of the third with a triple and then scored on an RBI single by Sullivan in the next at-bat. Though Sullivan got out on a fielder's choice later in the inning, Alexa Klepper came to plate with runners on first and second, after which she promptly brought in Wiarda on a RBI single.

The Eagles did get one run back in the top of the fifth, but the Diplomats responded almost immediately with a run in the bottom of the sixth to go up 6-1. 

In the top of the seventh, UWL began to mount a comeback, as the first two batters of the frame reached base safely before a throwing error in the outfield led to a run coming home. With a runner on third base and two outs, each of the next four batters recorded a base-hit, including a two-run double, as the Eagles got to within one, trailing 6-5. Despite having the tying run on third base and go-ahead run on first, Ainsley McClure was able to tally the final out to slam the door shut. 

Up next, F&M will face Saint Catherine and Saint John Fisher in a doubleheader tomorrow at 1 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. (ET), respectively.