More than a century ago, baseball star Wee Willie Keeler summed up the key to successful at-bats: "Hit 'em where they ain't."

Franklin softball had a difficult time avoiding Earlham gloves on Sunday afternoon, and the result was losses by 3-1 and 4-2 scores at Behrens Field.

"We hit the ball hard," Griz coach Britt Harvey said. "They made plays; what are you going to do? ... We didn't find a rhythm today. It didn't happen; some days it doesn't."

The Grizzlies (27-9, 11-3 HCAC) managed just one hit in the opening game — but still took the early lead, scoring the first run when Jaylee Fansler reached on a fielder's choice and scored all the way from first base when a fly ball to left by Kendall Lowry was dropped. 

Earlham tied the game on a solo home run in the third inning and got the go-ahead runs on a two-run blast in the sixth. Meanwhile, Franklin's only two baserunners over the last five innings came on a pair of walks to Fansler.

Griz hurler Lauren Duncan did her part in defeat, yielding just five hits while striking out six Quakers without a walk.

Game two saw the visitors set the tone with a two-run homer in the first inning and another run in the second on a Griz error. Franklin made a late push in the seventh inning, scoring a pair of runs on a McKenna Lucas double into left center field with two out, but a sharp liner to right field off the bat of Kaylee Stewart found leather for the final out.

Lucas had two of the five Franklin hits in the nightcap.

The Grizzlies, now in a three-way tie with Mount St. Joseph and Transylvania atop the HCAC standings, travel to face the Pioneers on Wednesday.

"We're not in a bad place right now," Harvey said. "They are hitting the ball, they are driving the ball; you can't control the plays that are made on the other side of the ball. ... If we keep swinging the way that we're swinging, they're going to come back in our direction."