LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Franklin College softball team opened post-season play on Thursday (May 13) with two games on day one of the 2021 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) Tournament.

In the first game of the tournament, the fourth-seeded Grizzlies (20-14) moved into the winners bracket with a convincing 4-1 win over fourth-seeded Hanover. In their second game of the day against top-seeded Transylvania, the Grizzlies fell behind early and spent the rest of the game playing catch-up in a 15-7 defeat.

Game One: Franklin 4 – Hanover 1
After a scoreless opening frame from both sides, Franklin grabbed control of the lead in the top of the second inning. Sydney Bostic led the frame off with a double and advanced to third on a wild pitch before scoring easily on a Shelby Crockett single for the ice breaker.

The Panthers drew even in the bottom of the second but the game wouldn't stay tied long as Franklin went back in front for good in the third. With one out and a runner on, Natalie Weber ripped a double into the left-center field gap that scored Sydney Rodeghier from first. Abby Hickson followed with a single to put runners on the corners, where Weber and pinch runner Kyra Frye worked a perfect double steal that led to the second run and a 3-1 Franklin lead.

Hanover threatened in their half of the fourth, putting two runners in scoring position with two outs before an inning-ending strikeout squashed the rally. Franklin got an insurance run in the sixth with an RBI single from Kennedy Bond and Alisha Burch set down 10 of the final 11 batters she faced to close things out.

Burch (11-6) collected the first post-season win of her career, allowing one run on five hits with one walk and five strikeouts. Hickson paced the offense with three hits as Franklin scored for the first time in three outings the season against Hanover starter Lilly Beurman (8-9).

Game Two: Transylvania 15 – Franklin 7 (5 inn.)
Playing their first game of the day, the Pioneers jumped in front with seven runs over the first three innings. Franklin got on the board with a run in the fourth on a run-scoring single from Emily Streib and battled back within striking distance with a six-run fifth inning. But the Pioneers' offense proved too potent, as Transy got four runs in both the fourth and fifth innings to close out the game.

Bostic went 3-for-3 with a couple runs scored and Streib finished 2-for-3 with two RBI. Hickson also accounted for two runs batted in for a Franklin offense that finished with nine hits. Delanie Gourley (9-7) got the start and lasted three innings in the circle.

Up Next
Franklin will look to keep their season alive on Friday (May 14) when they play in the second elimination game of the tournament against the winner of Thursday's Anderson-Hanover elimination game. First pitch is set for approximately 1:00 p.m.