CHICHESTER, Pa.- The Franklin & Marshall softball team (5-7) split Thursday's doubleheader at Penn State Brandywine (8-4), falling 2-0 in game one before Grace Header's bases-clearing double in the seventh inning of game two gave F&M a 3-2 lead that Alex Kilpatrick preserved in the seventh inning.

Game One

The Diplomats were held to just two hits in their 2-0 loss to the Lions in the first game of the day. Kate DelGrippo pitched four innings with one earned run, four hits, a walk, and one strikeout, while she offensively posted one of the two hits for F&M. Gabby Mundy reached base safely three times, going 1-for-1 with a pair of walks. 

The teams combined for just three base runners through the first three innings. Both of the Diplomats' hits came in the fourth inning, as Mundy reached with a leadoff single before Delgrippo singled with one out. The Lions escaped the frame with a strikeout and groundout back to the pitcher.

Brandywine scored their first run in the bottom of the fourth, making use of a leadoff walk and sacrifice bunt to get a runner into scoring position. A double from the next batter scored the run, while DelGrippo got out of the inning with a strikeout and popout to strand runners on the corners.

The Lions added one more run in the fifth inning. A walk and single began the frame to put runners on the corners. A sacrifice fly then brought their second run in. F&M saw a window back into the game in the seventh inning, as the Lions allowed two base runners aboard on back-to-back errors to begin the seventh. They quickly recovered with a fielder's choice and lineout double play to end the first game.

Game Two

Header's last-gasp line drive to the left-center gap brought three runs home, pushing the Diplomats past the Lions in a 3-2 victory to split the series. 

Ainsley McClure pitched the first six innings, punching out ten hitters with two earned runs and five hits while earning the win. Alex Kilpatrick earned her first career save with her one inning of service. Two Diplomats had a pair of hits including Mundy and Sophia Noriega. 

Mundy and Noriega reached with one-out singles in the first inning before Brandywine got out of the frame with a groundout and strikeout. The Lions then scored one run in the first inning, making use of a one-out single and stolen base with a single up the middle to score one run. The opposing pitchers combined for one baserunner in the second and third innings. 

F&M's next-best chance came in the fourth inning. Noriega began the inning with a single, but this was followed by a 6-4-3 double play. Kate Clement and Madison Martin reached safely with two outs, but the Lions generated a groundout to maintain their 1-0 lead. 

Brandywine added another run in the sixth inning, as a pair of hits and stolen bases put two runners in scoring position with no outs. McClure minimized the damage by drawing a strikeout, a sacrifice bunt to bring one run home, and a groundout. 

The Diplomats claimed the lead in the seventh inning on a combined three runs and three hits. Martin began the inning with a walk, then Megan Wiarda and Claire Sullivan singled to load the bases for Header. She brought all three runners in with a liner to the left-center gap. The Diplomats loaded the bases again, but Brandywine kept the deficit to 3-2 with a strikeout and groundout to get out of the inning. 

Kilpatrick earned her first collegiate save, allowing one baserunner aboard on a two-out walk before striking out the final batter.

The Diplomats travel again on Tuesday, March 25, at 3:00 p.m., as they face No. 20 Moravian.