FRANKLIN – The Franklin softball team kept their Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) record perfect with two wins over the Earlham Quakers on Saturday (Apr. 20) afternoon.
In the first meetings between the two programs all-time, Franklin (21-7, 10-0 HCAC) rolled to a 12-1 win in the opener before fighting off an Earlham (10-18, 5-7 HCAC) rally in game two to take that contest, 6-4.
Game One: Franklin 12 – Earlham 1 (5 inn.)
The Grizzlies broke the game open in their first trip to the plate, scoring five times in the top of the first with a bases-clearing three-run double from
Karrsen Pruitt highlighting the big inning. The top of the fourth brought more thunder from the Franklin bats, with the home side scoring seven times in the inning to cap all their offense for the afternoon.
The Grizzlies pounded out 12 hits in the opener, led by a 3-for-4 effort from
Molly Wallace. Pruitt and
Genesis Munoz both drove in three runs with Wallace and
Ruth Kaiser scoring twice each.
Lauren Duncan (10-3) worked a tidy six-hit complete game to earn the win, striking out three.
Game Two: Franklin 6 – Earlham 4
The Grizzlies trailed when they came up for each of their first two at-bats, but Franklin got one in the first and a five-run second to open things up and take a 6-2 lead.
Stephanni Kleber,
Eriana Wagner, Munoz and
Kendall Lowry all had run-scoring hits in the second.
The Quakers got a little close for comfort after a two-run fourth, but Kleber was able to keep the damage to two runs and get out of a bases-loaded jam. Earlham threatened again in the seventh, loading the bases with two out but Kleber dug in and got a game-ending backwards 'K' to complete the sweep.
Munoz drove in three more runs in game two and was one of three batters to record two hits along with Wagner and Kleber. When she wasn't helping herself at the plate, Kleber (6-3) battled to earn the win with a complete game effort that saw her walk one and strike out three.
Up Next
Franklin closes a 12-game homestand on Sunday (Apr. 21) afternoon, with two games against the University of Chicago. First pitch is set for 1:00 p.m.