LANCASTER, Pa. - In its first two home games of the 2024 season, the Franklin & Marshall Softball team fell to Cabrini 7-5 in game one before bouncing back with a 6-5 win in game two.

Game 1: Franklin & Marshall 5, Cabrini 7

In the afternoon's opening contest, the Cavaliers hit a pair of home runs en route to a 7-5 win. After Cabrini took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, the Diplomats brought seven players to the plate in the bottom of the third and scored three runs. In the next half inning, however, the Cavaliers put together a rally of their own, scoring three runs to jump back on top.

Cabrini then extended its lead in the top of the fifth, as four Cavaliers recorded base hits en route to two more runs crossing home. Following a solo home run by Cabrini in the top of the sixth to make it 7-3, F&M brought the game-tying run to the plate in the bottom half of the inning by loading the bases. Sophie Norriega brought one run in one a ground out before Madison Martin came home on a wild pitch, but the rally came to a halt in the next at-bat, as Megan Wiarda grounded out to end the inning. 

Unable to get a runner on base in the bottom of the seventh, the Diplomats' comeback attempt fell short. Ainsley McClure (3-3) struck out a pair of batters across 4.2 innings of work in the loss.

Game 2: Franklin & Marshall 6, Cabrini 5

Down 5-4 in the bottom of the sixth, Maddy Yeingst delivered a go-ahead two-run home run to lift F&M to a win in the backend of the doubleheader. Within the first two innings, the Diplomats got out to a 4-0 lead, highlighted by a two-run single from Yeingst and RBI triple by Jaden Spigner in the bottom of the second. 

Later trailing 4-1 in the top of the sixth, the Cavaliers loaded the bases before a sacrifice fly cut the deficit to two. Each of the next two batters then registered doubles, allowing three runs to score to give Cabrini a 5-4 edge. In the bottom half of the inning, Kayla Kilmer drilled a two-out double and was pinch ran for by Olivia Henderson, who served as the game-tying run. With Yeingst coming up to bat, the senior slammed a two-run home run to re-take the lead for F&M. 

Coming in relief in the top of the seventh, Kayla Kilmer ended the game with a one-two-three inning and earned the save.

Aliza Sheflin (3-1) picked up the win after tossing two innings and facing 13 batters. Overall, Yeingst batted 2-for-3 with a run scored and four RBI on the game.

The Diplomats will now travel to York College to face the Spartans in a doubleheader on Tuesday, March 26 at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.