NORTH MANCHESTER, Ind. – The Franklin College softball team opened a pivotal four-game road trip on Saturday (Apr. 23) afternoon with a pair of games against the Manchester Spartans.

The Grizzlies (18-13, 9-3 HCAC) got another strong pitching performance from Sydney Pitts and just enough offense to take game one by a 3-1 score. Game two saw the Grizzlies trailing the Spartans (12-22, 3-9 HCAC) entering the final inning before Genesis Munoz clubbed a go-ahead grand slam with two outs to cap a 6-3 comeback win.

Game One: Franklin 3 – Manchester 1
Franklin grabbed an early lead with a run-scoring single from Molly Wallace but Manchester answered in the bottom of the inning to tie things up. The score remained tied until the top of the fourth inning when Makiah Thomas broke the tie with an RBI single and Sydney Rodeghier brought her in with a double later in the inning to make it 3-1 Griz.

Pitts (9-3) carried the Grizzlies the rest of the way, allowing a scant two base runners over the final four innings to close out the win. Pitts scattered six hits and struck out three without walking a batter, tossing 81 pitches to earn the complete game win.

Annie Kluemper went 3-for-4 at the plate with Wallace and Addie Csikos recording two hits each.

Game Two: Franklin 6 – Manchester 3
Franklin scored in their first trip to the plate for the second straight game with Sydney Bostic driving in a run with a single. The Spartans answered with a run in the first and two runs in the third to take a 3-1 lead they would hold until the seventh inning.

Down to their final out in the seventh, the Grizzlies got to work on the game-winning rally. Rodeghier kept the inning alive with a single that scored Shelby Crockett and cut the Manchester lead to one. A double from Kluemper and a walk to Bostic followed to load the bags for Munoz, and the freshman slugger made the Spartans pay by hammering her third home run of the year over the wall in left center field.

Stephanni Kleber (6-7) made the lead hold up in the seventh to earn the win. Kleber scattered five hits, allowed two earned runs and struck out a pair in a complete game effort.

Up Next
The Grizzlies are on the road for the final time in the regular season on Tuesday (Apr. 26) afternoon, traveling to Anderson University to meet the Ravens. First pitch is set for 3:30 p.m.