TUCSON, Ariz.- The Franklin & Marshall softball team fell in both of its Tuesday contests at the Tucson Invitational games, losing 1-0 in a pitchers' duel to Park (Mo.) (10-6) before being defeated in six innings by Ottawa (Ariz.) (18-4), 11-3.
Alexa Klepper reached a notable offensive milestone, as she became the 23th Diplomat to reach 100 career hits against Park.
Game One
A pair of first-inning errors allowed for the lone run of the game to score, as Park earned a 1-0 victory.
Ainsley McClure pitched the first five innings with five hits, no earned runs, five strikeouts, and a walk, while
Alex Kilpatrick pitched the final two innings with just one hit and one strikeout.
Jaden Spigner had F&M's only extra-base hit, a double in the fifth inning.
The errors came on consecutive plate appearances for the Diplomats, as a one-out infield error got one runner aboard. On the next at-bat, an error in the outfield allowed the runner to score from first. McClure stranded the runner on third by generating back-to-back groundouts.
The first ten Diplomats were retired before
Gabby Mundy recorded the team's first hit in the fourth inning. One inning later, Spigner got aboard with a leadoff double, but
Mia Lanter was picked off while pinch-running, and F&M could not get a runner back into scoring position in the inning.
The Diplomats' pitching duo didn't allow a baserunner past second base following the first inning, keeping the deficit at one heading into the seventh. Klepper kicked off the inning with a single, her 100th career hit, then Spigner walked aboard with one out to get the tying run into scoring position. The Pirate escaped with back-to-back strikeouts.
Game Two
Natalia Garza (2-for-4) and
Sophia Noriega (2-for-3, 1 2B, 1 RBI) each had multi-hit games, while
Alexa Klepper and
Madison Martin recorded a double apiece in the 11-3 run-rule loss in six innings to Ottawa.
Following a quiet first inning from both teams, each side got on the board in the second inning. All of F&M's offense came with two outs, started by a double from Martin and a single from
Ellie LoPiccolo to score one run. A walk from
Claire Sullivan and a single from Garza loaded the bases. A fielder's choice brought one run home before a groundout ended the frame. Ottawa struck for three runs via a double-triple-double-single sequence to begin the inning before
Charlotte Dwyer got out of the inning with a foul-out and two strikeouts.
The Spirit added one run in the third inning, making use of a pair of errors before bringing a run in with a sacrifice fly to lead 4-1. Back-to-back doubles from Klepper and Noriega in the fifth inning closed the gap to one, although the rally stalled swiftly with three-straight strikeouts. Ottawa scored four runs in the fifth inning, beginning the frame with four consecutive singles to score two runs. A two-out double brought two more runs home, leading 8-3. They reached the run rule in the sixth inning, scoring three more runs to earn the victory.
F&M has an off day before facing Salve Regina and Nelson University (Ariz.) on Thursday, March 13, starting at 12:00 p.m. EST (9:00 a.m MST).
