FRANKLIN, Ind. – The Franklin College softball team welcomed the Aurora Spartans to Behrens Field on Wednesday (Mar. 30) afternoon for a pair of non-conference matchups between the two sides.

The Grizzlies (7-7) dropped a 12-2 opener in six innings to a strong Spartans (12-2) team that earned their fifth straight win. But the home side would bounce back in a big way in game two, holding a potent Aurora offense in check to win 5-3 and earn a big split.

Game One: Aurora 12 – Franklin 2 (6 inn.)
Aurora jumped on Franklin starter Stephanni Kleber for four runs in the first, but the Grizzlies countered with two in their first trip to the plate with an RBI double from Annie Kluemper and a sac fly from Genesis Munoz providing the damage. But that proved to be all the offense the Grizzlies could mount and the Spartans plated at least one run in all six innings to take the opener.

Kluemper went 2-for-3 with a run scored to pace the offense. Kleber (2-4) allowed six runs over three innings as the FC pitcher of record.

Game Two: Franklin 5 – Aurora 3
For the second straight contest, the Spartans jumped early with two runs in their first trip to the plate. Just as they did in the opener, the Grizzlies had an answer in their half of the first with Sydney Bostic and Ravyn McLaren recording RBI singles and Molly Wallace smoking an RBI double into the left field corner to give Franklin their first lead of the day at 3-2.

Aurora scored their second unearned run of the game in the second to knot things up, and the game stayed tied until the bottom of the fourth. With two outs and two runners on, Sydney Rodeghier doubled into the left field corner to put the Grizzlies ahead. A wild pitch to Kluemper allowed Shelby Crockett to motor home from third to make it a 5-3 game.

From there, the Grizzlies got clutch pitching and stellar defense over the final three frames to close out the victory.

Sydney Pitts (3-1) was brilliant in the circle in game two, allowing one earned run on six hits with no walks and four strikeouts to record her first career complete game.

Up Next
Franklin hits the road on Friday (Apr. 1) to take on the Belles of St. Mary's College. First pitch is set for 3:00 p.m.