Nottingham Becomes Washington's All-Time Leader In Runs Scored

CHESTERTOWN, Md. – Host #20 Washington College and visiting Franklin & Marshall split a Centennial Conference softball doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at WC Softball Field.  The Diplomats won the opener 7-5, while the Shorewomen took game two by an 8-1 score.  Washington is now 12-2 on the year, while F&M is 10-6.  Both teams are 1-1 in the conference as it was opening twinbill for both teams.

In game two, Franklin & Marshall took a 1-0 lead as Rachel Laufer got her fourth hit of the doubleheader with a two-out single to right field to score Malorie Sassman in the top of the first inning. 

The lead would last for two more innings as the Shorewomen scored three times in the bottom of the third to take a 3-1 lead.  Freshman third baseman Caitlyn Kirby (Glen Burnie, Md./Glen Burnie) cracked her first collegiate home run, a two-run blast, over the left field fence to put Washington up 2-1 and it was also the team's first longball of the season.  Two batters late, senior first baseman Lauren Dockrill (San Diego, Calif./Cathedral Catholic) doubled to the gap in left-center field to plate senior catcher Kylie Nottingham (Ocean City, Md./Stephen Decatur) to put the hosts up by two runs.  The run scored by Nottingham was her 98th career run scored and she became the program's leader in runs scored.  The record had been previously held by April Podolinsky '00 as she scored 97 times from 1997-2000.  Nottingham now has 100 all-time runs scored for the Shorewomen as she scored two more times later in the game.

F&M threatened with two on and two out in the top of the fifth and Sassman at the plate as the go ahead run, but Nottingham rifled a throw to junior second baseman Kelsey Graham (Dunkirk, Md./Northern) at second to pick off Patricia Crigler end the threat.  The Shorewomen then scored three times in the last half of the fifth to take a 6-1 lead.  With one out, junior designated player Kristin Cooper (Georgetown, Del./Sussex Central) hit a sacrifice fly to right field to plate freshman Kerri Estep (Lancaster, Pa./Penn Manor) to make it 4-1 and the next hitter with two outs, Graham delivered a two-strike pitch up the middle for a two-run single to score both Nottingham and Dockrill to give Washington a five-run lead.  Washington tacked on two more runs in the last of the sixth to provide the final margin.

Junior pitcher Christine Anderson (Palmer Lake, Colo./Lewis-Palmer) baffled the Diplomats in the circle as she held the guests to four hits in going the distance.  She is now 3-0 on the season.  At the plate, Dockrill went 3-for-4 and is now third all-time in the Centennial Conference with 187 career hits.  She trails Sue Sobolewski (Ursinus 1999-2002, 191 hits) and Joy Hallfors (Gettysburg 2010-13, 189 hits).  Kirby went 3-for-4 with two RBI, both coming on the homer.  Nottingham scored three times and Graham drove in two as WC pounded out 11 hits in the second game.

For the Diplomats, Justine Lohrey took the loss and drops to 6-1 as she went three innings in relief. 

In game one, F&M jumped out to a 2-0 lead with a one-out two-run longball by Sassman to also plate Caroline Abin.  In the top of the second, the Diplomats scored two more times to take a 4-0 lead.  With one out, Laufer homered to left to make it 3-0 with one away and with two outs, Abin doubled to deep center to score Sarah Kirk and give the guests a four-run lead.

The Shorewomen got one run in the last of the second when Cooper scored on an RBI groundout to short by Anderson.

In the bottom of the third, Washington tied it up at 4-4 with three runs.  Nottingham scored her 97th career run to tie Podolinsky for the program's all-time record for runs scored on a base hit down the left field line by junior shortstop Suzanne Patinella (Fallston, Md./Maryvale Prep) with one away to cut the lead to 4-2.  Cooper then doubled to right to score Dockrill to cut it to 4-3.  With two outs, Cooper scored on a base hit to shallow right by senior second baseman Claire Mattox (Arlington, Va./Potomac School) to tie the game.

The Diplomats regained the lead in the top of the fourth with one out when Laufer scored on a fielding mishap to take a 5-4 lead.  But the Shorewomen tied it back up at 5-5 in the bottom of the fourth when sophomore centerfielder Paige Briganti (Severna Park, Md./Severna Park) scored on a single down the right field line by Nottingham with two away.

In the top of the seventh, F&M put together a two-run rally with two outs.  Laufer doubled to left-center to score Megan Ryan to make it 6-5 and Laufer would score on a Kirk single to left to give the guests a two-run lead.  Washington got the tying run to the plate in the last of the seventh, but Patinella grounded out to third base to end the game.

F&M, which had 13 hits, got a 3-for-4, three run and two RBI performance from Laufer, while Abin and Kirk were both 3-for-3 in the win.  Sassaman drove in two runs, while Ryan had two hits.  In the circle, Lohrey got the win to go to 6-0 as she pitched the final three innings, allowing only one hit and no runs.

Washington, which had nine hits, had two hits and two runs from Cooper and two hits from Nottingham.  In the circle, sophomore pitcher Sydnee Schorr (Easton, Md./Easton) took the loss and falls to 4-1 as she went the final four innings.

The Shorewomen are slated to travel to Haverford for a 3:00 p.m. Centennial Conference twinbill on Tuesday afternoon.