RICHMOND, Ind. – The Franklin softball team continued a lengthy 12-game road swing on Saturday (Mar. 29) afternoon, taking on the Earlham Quakers in the conference opener for both teams.
 
The Grizzlies (6-5, 0-2 HCAC) got a pair of brilliant pitching performances from Lauren Duncan and Zoey Kugelman, but the offense managed just eight hits on the day as the Quakers (13-5, 2-0 HCAC) claimed wins by scores of 1-0 and 2-1.
 
Game One: Earlham 1 – Franklin 0
The game's lone run came with two outs in the bottom of the third inning with back-to-back Earlham doubles. Franklin's best chance at equalizing came in their half of the sixth inning, when they had runners on the corners with two outs but couldn't push the tying run across.
 
Kugelman, Molly Wallace and McKenna Lucas accounted for Franklin's three hits in the game. Duncan (3-3) tossed a complete game gem, giving up three hits and striking out a season-high seven batters over six innings.
 
Game Two: Earlham 2 – Franklin 1 (9 inn.)
Kugelman broke the ice in the top of the sixth with a two-out RBI double, scoring Hadley Fuhrman and giving Franklin their first lead of the day. But the Quakers answered with a run of their own in the bottom of the sixth and the hosts got the winning run in the bottom of the ninth.
 
Kugelman (2-2) scattered six hits and struck out a career-high seven over eight-plus innings and went 2-for-4 at the plate. Ruth Kaiser also recorded multiple hits, going 2-for-3 in the game.
 
Up Next
Franklin begins a busy week of competition on Monday (Mar. 31) afternoon, with two games against Saint Mary's (IN). First pitch of game one is set for 1:00 p.m.