For the entirety of the regular season, Franklin softball was perched atop the HCAC.
The Grizzlies have a tough climb ahead if they're going to end the conference tournament there, putting themselves in a hole with a 5-3 eight-inning loss to fourth-seeded Earlham on Thursday afternoon.
On Friday, top-seeded Franklin (30-11) will try to keep its season alive by winning a 12:30 p.m. elimination game against No. 2 Mount St. Joseph. The two teams split a doubleheader on the final day of the regular season, finishing in a tie atop the standings.
Thursday's game was scoreless through the first three and a half innings as Griz starting pitcher
Zoey Kugelman traded zeroes with the Quakers' Morgan Cooksey. Franklin broke the stalemate in the bottom of the fourth inning when Liv Staigl drove in courtesy runner
Alyssa Pasch with a base hit to left center field — but Earlham answered, finally getting to Kugelman for a pair of runs in the sixth and scoring another off of reliever
Rylan Young in the top of the seventh to go up 3-1.
With their backs against the wall, the Grizzlies responded in the bottom of the seventh. Kugelman got the rally started with a one-out double, moving to third on a bunt single by
Jasmine Day.
Jaylee Fansler followed with a base hit to right center, scoring Kugelman and advancing Day to third.
Kendall Lowry's sacrifice fly then plated Day with the tying run.
After Earlham regained the lead with two runs in the top of the eighth, Franklin brought the tying run to the plate after
McKenna Lucas doubled with two out but was unable to complete the comeback bid.
The Grizzlies totaled eight hits on the day, with Kugelman and Fansler each collecting a pair. Kugelman worked six innings in the pitching circle, allowing six hits and two runs while striking out three.
