LANCASTER, Pa.- With Alexa Klepper's bases-clearing walk-off double in a 7-6 game one win, the Franklin & Marshall softball team (10-23, 4-10 Centennial) earned a split in Thursday's home finale against non-conference foe York (Pa.) (13-21, 7-5 MAC Commonwealth). York went on to earn a 13-7 win in extra innings in the second game.
Game One
After going behind 6-0 through two innings, the Diplomats erased the deficit with four runs in the fourth inning and three runs from Alexa Klepper with a two-out, three-RBI double to the left-center gap to earn a 7-6 walk-off win.
Klepper ended the game 3-for-5 with four RBI, two doubles, one run scored, and a stolen base. Erika Stewart and Kate Clement had a pair of hits, while Natalia Garza reached base safely four times (1-for-1, 3 BB, 1 RBI, 2 R).
Kate DelGrippo pitched 5.2 scoreless innings of relief to earn the win, giving up just two hits with seven strikeouts.
York scored two runs in the first inning, as the first two runners reached safely and then got into scoring position on a passed ball. Back-to-back sacrifice flies scored both runs. The Diplomats left two runners on base after a double and single to begin the inning.
York pushed their lead to 6-0 in the second inning, scoring four runs on five singles and an infield error from F&M that began the inning. DelGrippo stepped into the circle with the bases loaded and one out, and she drew a popout and groundout to leave the gap at 6-0.
The Diplomats began to work out of the early deficit with a four-run fourth inning. Clement and Madison Martin reached with one out on a walk and single, respectively. From there, Garza broke the shutout with a single to left field. Klepper and Stewart each brought a run home with a single, while Sophia Noriega completed the scoring with another single. York was able to strand the bases full with a groundout, and F&M trailed, 6-4, through four.
York saw a chance to add to their lead in the seventh with a leadoff single and fielding error with two outs that put two runners into scoring position. DelGrippo escaped with a strikeout.
Grace Header and Clement singled to start the bottom of the seventh, and Martin put down a successful sacrifice bunt to put the tying run at second base. Garza walked with two outs to put the winning run at first base. Klepper followed this with a line drive to the left center gap, bringing home all three runs in the process for the team's second walk-off win of the year.
Game Two
Roles were reversed in the second game, as York erased a 6-0 deficit to eventually win, 13-7, in nine frames.
The second game was error-ridden, as each defense unit tallied five errors. Stewart led the offense with a 2-for-3 performance with a walk, one run scored, and one stolen base. Klement led the offense with two RBI.
Ainsley McClure pitched the first 3.1 innings with one earned run, two hits, three walks, and four strikeouts.
The Diplomats posted five runs in the first inning on no hits, as they drew five walks, walking two runs to the plate, before making use of a pair of two-out errors from the Spartans to add on three more runs. York committed two more errors in the second inning, with F&M adding one more run on a two-out double steal with runners on the corners that saw an errant throw from the catcher to second base. F&M's 6-0 lead held through the first three innings.
York began to work their way back into the game with one run in the fourth inning and two more in the fifth. They got back within one run in the sixth with a two-out, two-run homer over the left-field fence to trail, 6-5. They went on to rally with two outs in the seventh, stringing together two singles before a throwing error tied the game at six each. With the winning run at third, DelGrippo kept the game tied heading into the seventh.
The game carried on into extra innings; York made use of their free run, as a well placed sacrifice bunt saw their runner score all the way from second base. The Diplomats tied the game in the bottom of the eight, advancing the runner on a sacrifice bunt before tying the game on a fielder's choice throwing error to home plate.
Teams carried on into the ninth inning with daylight waning. Following a flyout and sacrifice bunt to begin the inning, York stormed away with a run of a single to score the go-ahead run, another single, a three-RBI inside-the-park home run, a throwing error, a single, and a two-RBI triple before ending their half of the inning with a 13-7 lead. F&M went down in order in the bottom of the ninth on a fielder's choice and a double play.
The Diplomats conclude their Centennial Conference schedule, and seek the final Centennial Conference Softball Tournament spot, at Washington College on Saturday, April 26, at 1:00 p.m. With five teams within one game of the last spot, F&M will need a sweep of the Shorewomen and results to fall their way elsewhere to earn the fifth playoff spot.
