Softball Game Preview: Franklin Knights vs. Oil City Oilers

vs

Previous Games

05/07/24 - Home	15-0 W
04/22/24 - Away	20-2 W
05/09/23 - Away	6-2 W
04/13/23 - Home	15-0 W
05/10/22 - Away	17-0 W
+ 2 more games

Franklin has gone a perfect 7-0 against Oil City recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Wednesday. The Knights will head out to challenge the Oilers at 3:30 p.m. Franklin has given up an average of 12 runs per game this season, but Wednesday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

Franklin came into their game on Tuesday off a hard-fought close win, but unfortunately suffered a serious change of fortune. They lost 13-3 to Hickory. The Knights have struggled against the Hornets recently, as the game was their third consecutive lost meeting.

Abigail Boland made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and scored a run while going 1-for-3. Aubree Hollerman also deserves some recognition as she scored her first run of the season.

Meanwhile, Oil City was not able to break out of their rough patch on Monday as the team picked up their seventh straight loss. They were two runs away from ending the streak, but they lost a 16-14 heartbreaker at the hands of Lakeview. Even if the Oilers couldn't come away with the victory, the high-scoring effort was a great turnaround for their hitters, which had struggled int the games prior.

Shalyn Whittemore put in work while hitting and pitching. She tossed 5.1 innings while giving up three earned (and six unearned) runs off three hits. That's the fewest hits she has allowed since back in April of 2024. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-5 with two stolen bases, one triple, and two RBI.

In other batting news, Ariana Griffin was cooking despite her team's loss, scoring three runs and stealing three bases while going 3-for-5. Another player making a difference was Ayla Hall, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-4.

Franklin's record now sits at 1-5. As for Oil City, their record is now 1-8.

Franklin took their win against Oil City when the teams last played back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 15-0 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Knights since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.