Softball Game Preview: Franklin Panthers vs. Tuscola Mountaineers

Panthers

Runs

04/10/25 @ Pisgah	4
04/08/25 vs East Henderson	17
03/28/25 vs West Henderson	10
03/26/25 @ Brevard	12
03/24/25 @ Smoky Mountain	10
+ 11 more games

Franklin has gone 8-2 against Tuscola recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Friday. The Panthers will be playing at home against the Mountaineers at 6:30 p.m. Franklin is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.1 runs per game this season.

Franklin is probably headed into the game with a chip on their shoulder considering Pisgah just ended the team's eight-game winning streak on Thursday. They fell just short of the Bears by a score of 6-4. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss the Panthers have suffered against the Bears since April 27, 2021.

Suzanna Cabe put in work while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching six innings while giving up just two earned (and four unearned) runs off eight hits. Cabe was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.

Cabe wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Jozy Dehart, who scored a run while going 2-for-4.

Meanwhile, Tuscola had just enough and edged out Erwin 3-1 on Wednesday. The Mountaineers haven't had any issues with the Warriors recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive victory against them.

The win got Tuscola back to even at 7-7. As for Franklin, their defeat was their first in the conference, dropping their conference record down to 7-1 and their overall record down to 12-4.

Franklin came out on top in a nail-biter against Tuscola in their previous matchup back in March, sneaking past 3-1. Do the Panthers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Mountaineers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.