MONTGOMERY, Ill. – The Franklin softball team hit the road on Friday (Mar. 24) afternoon for a pair of matchups against the Aurora Spartans.
 
Pitching dominated the story in both games with each team pitching a shutout as part of an afternoon split. Franklin (12-4) claimed the opener 2-0 with the Spartans (2-7) managing to come away with a 1-0 decision in game two.
 
Game One: Franklin 2 -Aurora 0
A two-out rally in the top of the second led to the game's winning run, with Annie Kluemper keeping the inning alive with a single and coming in to score on Ravyn McClaren's double into the left field corner. The Grizzlies grabbed an insurance run in the top of the sixth inning when a lead-off single from Genesis Munoz turned into the game's final run later in the inning on a sac fly from Kluemper.
 
That proved to be more than enough offense for starter Sydney Pitts (4-2), as she kept Spartan batters off balance in a complete game shutout. Pitts scattered four hits and struck out the game's final batter without allowing any Aurora base-runners past second. McClaren and Molly Wallace had two hits each to power the Franklin offense.
 
Game Two: Aurora 1 – Franklin 0
The Grizzlies put two runners on base with two outs in both the second and fifth innings, respectively, but couldn't get the hit they needed to break through. Aurora plated the game's lone run in the bottom of the fifth on a sacrifice fly and Franklin couldn't answer, generating one base runner over the final two innings.
 
Four different players recorded hits in the game and the Griz left six runners on base. Stephanni Kleber (5-2) pitched well in defeat, scattering six hits and striking out one in a complete game showing.
 
Franklin is back in action on Sunday (Mar. 26) afternoon, hosting Eureka at 1:00 p.m. at Behrens Field.