Softball Game Preview: Franklin Panthers vs. Murphy Bulldogs

The Franklin Panthers will face off against the Murphy Bulldogs at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Franklin 3.5, Murphy 3.9) so any runs scored will be well earned.

The scorekeeper got an easy start on Wednesday as neither Franklin nor Murphy made it on the board until the fifth inning. The Panthers fell just short of the Bulldogs by a score of 5-4.

For Murphy's part, Paisley Johnson spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and one unearned) runs on five hits and racked up eight Ks. Johnson has been consistent for a while: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in 12 consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, Piper Dalton and Aiden Smith did most of the damage at the plate: Dalton went 2-for-4 with two doubles and one run, while Smith went a perfect 3-for-3 with one double and one RBI. Those three hits gave Smith a new career-high.

They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Murphy kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They are a perfect 5-0 when they post 11 or more hits.

The victory was the third in a row for Murphy, bringing their record up to 9-5. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 16.0 runs over those games. As for Franklin, their loss dropped their record down to 13-5.