Patricia Crigler, Franklin & Marshall
Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
FORT MYERS, Fla. – Franklin & Marshall continued to dominate its spring break trip on Tuesday morning in softball action as the Diplomats blanked Lasell (Mass.) 7-0 before handling Knox (Ill.) 10-1 in five innings. F&M jumped to 5-1, while the Lasers slipped to 2-3 and the Prairie Fire fell to 0-2.
In game one against Lasell, Erin Russell got the Diplomats on the board in the bottom of the first when she roped a double that scored Melissa Bollmeyer as F&M went up early 1-0. Russell later increased the lead in the bottom of the third with an RBI-single and Megan Ryan added a two-RBI triple to make it 4-0 Diplomats.
That is all starting pitcher Isabel Schaefer would need, as the freshman twirled her second-consecutive complete game shutout, giving up just three hits while striking out eight batters.
F&M tacked on three more in the bottom of the sixth and held on for the comfortable 7-0 victory.
Russell finished with three hits and three RBI's, while Bollmeyer notched two hits and a stolen base.
In the nightcap against Knox, the Diplomats continued the trend of plating runs early, as F&M went ahead 1-0 after Bollmeyer scored on a wild pitch. After Katie Wenger was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to make it 2-0, Crystal Good singled to score two and increase the lead to 4-0.
In the bottom of the second with the Diplomats up 5-0, Wenger ripped a two-RBI base hit to up the lead to 7-0. F&M added three more in the bottom of the fourth, as Patricia Crigler, Good, and Kelly Van O'Linda each recorded an RBI-single.
Good led the offense with two hits and three RBI's.
Justine Lohrey (1-1) pitched well inside the circle, giving up just four hits and one earned run while striking out three to give her the 25th win of her career, putting the senior two wins away from third place on F&M's all-time wins list.
The Diplomats wrap up their spring break trip tomorrow, facing off against Brockport at 9:00 a.m. before taking on Nichols (Mass.) at 11:00 a.m.