LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Franklin College softball team looked to keep their season alive on Saturday (May 7) when they took on the Transylvania Pioneers in an elimination game at the 2022 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) Tournament.

The two teams locked up in a back-and-forth battle, with wet conditions and dipping temperatures present all afternoon. Both teams held the lead on numerous occasions, but the Grizzlies would see their upset bid stopped as Transylvania moved on with a 7-6 win.

How it Happened
The Grizzlies grabbed an early lead with two runs in the first courtesy of a Sydney Bostic sac fly and a Molly Wallace RBI double. The Pioneers got a run back in the third but Franklin countered with two more in the third on a Rayvn McClaren RBI single and Addie Csikos RBI double that made it a 4-1 game.

But the tournament's top seed would respond in kind with a four-run fourth to take their first lead of the day. That lead didn't last long as Bostic tied the game with an RBI double in the fourth and McClaren scored on a wild pitch in the fifth to put Franklin back in front at 6-5.

With two outs in the sixth, the Pioneers struck with two runs to re-take the lead. Franklin couldn't get the tying run across before the final out, bringing their campaign to a close.

McClaren recorded her first career three-hit game and Bostic plated two runs to pace the offense. Wallace, Csikos and Annie Kluemper all had two hits each. Sydney Pitts (11-6) allowed five earned runs on 10 hits over 5.2 innings of work with Stephanni Kleber coming in for the final 1.1 innings.

The Grizzlies finish their season 21-19 and in the HCAC Tournament for the sixth straight season, extending their program-record post season appearance streak.