Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

LANCASTER, Pa. – The Swarthmore College softball team dropped Centennial Conference doubleheader to Franklin & Marshall at Saturday afternoon.

In the opener, Franklin & Marshall (17-7, 6-2 CC) used a two-run sixth inning to overcome Swarthmore (7-11, 0-4 CC) by a 4-2 score. A pitcher's dual in game two ended in eight innings after the Diplomats tripled and singled on no outs to bring home the winning run to complete the sweep on a 1-0 victory.

Sophomore Clara Obstfeld hit in the first Garnet run in the fourth inning after senior Rose Pitkin reached first on an error and sophomore Casey Schreiner moved Pitkin to second on a sacrifice bunt. Obstfeld singled to bring Pitkin across the plate.

The Diplomats responded in the bottom of the inning with back-to-back doubles and a sacrifice fly to bring two players across the plate before the Garnet escaped the inning on two fly outs.

Swarthmore's fifth inning mirrored the fourth as freshman Sara Planthaber reached on an error and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from senior Nicole Aaron followed by junior Chelsea Matzko singling to bring Planthaber home. At the end of five innings, the teams were tied 5-5.

Franklin & Marshall homered, doubled and singled to open the bottom of the sixth to get the go ahead and eventual winning runs.

Freshman Jackie Pezzato (1-3) pitched six innings with two strikeouts and seven hits in the loss. Pitkin, junior Emma Madarasz and sophomore Lindsay Holcomb each made four putouts in the effort.

The two starting pitchers senior Sarina Lowe (1-4) and the Dips' Kaitlin Zampino were dominant for the majority of the game. Three up and three down was the story for most of the nightcap as the teams went seven scoreless innings with a combined nine hits. The final two hits in the bottom of the eighth gave the home standing Diplomats the sweep.

Lowe finished with one strikeout in 4.1 innings, while senior Melissa O'Connor closed out the game with three strikeouts.

Swarthmore continues conference play Sunday afternoon at McDaniel.