Softball Preview: Franklin Panthers vs. Brevard Blue Devils
Franklin is 9-1 against Brevard since March of 2017, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Monday. The Franklin Panthers will head out on the road to take on the Brevard Blue Devils at 5:30 p.m. Both teams are coming into the matchup red-hot, with Franklin sitting on eight straight victories and Brevard on three.
Last Thursday, it was close, but Franklin sidestepped Madison for a 4-3 win. Four seems to be a good number for Franklin as the squad scooped up a victory with the same number of runs in their previous game.
Kendall Rumans made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing seven innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off eight hits. Rumans has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive pitching appearances. Rumans was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-2.
In other batting news, Laura Holland was excellent, going 1-for-3 with a home run.
Meanwhile, Brevard put the finishing touches on their fifth blowout victory of the season on Friday. They were the clear victor by a 12-1 margin over Hendersonville.
Like Franklin, Brevard also got a great game from a two-way player: Emma Bailey. She didn't allow a single earned run over five innings pitched. Bailey was also big at the plate, scoring a run while getting on base in two of her four plate appearances.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Macayle Stevens, who went 2-for-3 with four RBI, a triple, and a run. Another player making a difference was Lilly Hoxit, who scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
Franklin pushed their record up to 8-0 with that win, which was their 17th straight at home dating back to last season. Those good results were due in large part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.4 runs per game. As for Brevard, they have been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six games, which provided a nice bump to their 8-4 record this season.
Monday's contest will be a test for both team's pitchers. Franklin hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .407. However, it's not like Brevard struggles in that department as they've averaged .368. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Franklin took their victory against Brevard when the teams last played back in April of 2021 by a conclusive 12-2. The rematch might be a little tougher for Franklin since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
