CLERMONT, Fla.- The Franklin & Marshall softball team (0-1) dropped their season-opening contest to the University of Chicago (3-2), 3-2, on a walk-off solo home run. The day's second game against SUNY Old Westbury was canceled due to inclement weather with the Diplomats ahead, 4-2, through three innings. 

Game One

The Diplomats carried a 2-1 lead over the University of Chicago heading into the bottom of the seventh inning before being undone by a pair of solo home runs, losing 3-2.

Ainsley McClure pitched all 6.2 innings for the Diplomats, allowing three earned runs on five hits and a walk with four strikeouts. 

Morgan Risnychok opened her collegiate career with a two-double performance, going 2-for-4 with an RBI and one run scored. Gabby Mundy had the other RBI for the Diplomats on an infield groundout. Sarah Hess went 1-for-2 with a sacrifice bunt, while Natalia Garza was 1-for-2 with one run scored and one walk. 

Risnychok opened the game with a leadoff double to the right-center gap, while Hess advanced the runner 60 feet with a sacrifice bunt. A Mundy walk put runners on the corners with one out. Mundy then completed a successful steal of second base in the first phase of a double-steal attempt, but Risnychok was out on the throw back to the plate. A popout soon ended the frame with Mundy stranded at second base.

McClure denied the first run-scoring chance from Chicago in the second inning, holding a runner at second base with a two-out strikeout. 

Both of F&M's runs came in the top of the third inning. The frame began with a leadoff walk from Garza, while a one-out double down the line from Risnychok plated Garza from first base. Hess advanced the runner to third base with a single up the middle, advancing to second base on the throw home. Mundy scored the second run on the next at-bat with a ball to the first-base side, as Risnychok beat the throw to the plate. A runner was left on third base on an inning-ending infield popout. 

Chicago broke through in the fourth inning, getting the leadoff runner to third base via a double and an interference call. That runner came across the plate on an infield groundout one at-bat later, and McClure drew back-to-back popouts to end the inning with a one-run advantage.

Both offenses were kept quiet through the next two innings, as the sides combined for just one runner reaching scoring position in the fifth and sixth innings. The Maroons tied things up with a solo homer to left field in the bottom of the seventh before securing the comeback victory with a two-out drive kept inside of the left-field foul line. 

Game Two

The Diplomats maintained a 4-2 lead through three complete innings against SUNY Old Westbury when inclement weather brought the contest to a close short of it being made official. Up to that point, highlights for F&M included a solo homer from Lauren Steiner, two more doubles from Risnychok, and four strikeouts from Alex Kilpatrick.
Up Next

The Diplomats return for their second day of spring break tomorrow. They'll open the morning against Trinity (Conn.) at 11:30 a.m. before facing Plattsburgh State at 2:30 p.m.