FRANKLIN, Ind. – The Franklin College softball team made history on Wednesday (Mar. 24) afternoon as part of their mid-week double-header with the Hanover Panthers.

After struggling on offense in a 2-0 loss in the opener, the Grizzlies' (6-4) offense woke up for the night cap, recording 25 hits and setting a new program record for runs in a game in a 26-8 five-inning victory over the Panthers (1-8)

Game One: Hanover 2 – Franklin 0
Hanover plated the game's first run in their half of the second while the Grizzlies waited until the bottom of the fourth to put together their first scoring threat. The Grizzlies loaded the bases with one out but were done in by back-to-back strikeouts to end the threat. It proved to be the best scoring chance in the opener and the Panthers added an insurance run in the seventh to cap the scoring.

Alisha Burch (3-2) pitched well in defeat, allowing one earned run on seven hits with three walks and three strikeouts in a complete game showing.

Game Two: Franklin 26 – Hanover 8 (5 inn.)
The Grizzlies got right to work putting big numbers on the board with Sydney Bostic plating two with a double and Makiah Thomas scoring a pair with a single to make it 4-0 Franklin after an inning. It proved to be a taste of things to come as Franklin would bring seven runs home in their next trip to the plate with Emily Streib, Bostic, Addie Csikos and Samantha Cain all knocking home runs. 

Shelby Crockett and Natalie Weber clubbed back-to-back home runs to lead off the fourth and Cain added an RBI single later in the inning to make it a 14-4 game. Hanover plated four more in the fourth to get back within striking distance before Franklin emphatically put things out of reach with a 12-run bottom of the fourth that saw seven different players record at least one RBI.

Delanie Gourley (3-1) was the recipient of all the run support as she moved into a tie for the team lead with three wins. Gourley fanned a career-high seven batters on the afternoon.

Bostic headed up the offense with five RBI and her four runs scored are a career-high. Weber went 3-for-4 with three RBI and a team-high five runs scored. Thomas and Makayla Plymale knocked in three runs each and Samantha Cornelius brought home two runs of her own. Ten different players recorded an RBI and 11 Grizzlies finished with a hit.

Up Next
The Grizzlies are off for a week before they travel to Anderson next Wednesday (Mar. 31). First pitch of that double-header is set for 3:00 p.m.