Softball Game Preview: Sharon Tigers vs. Franklin Knights

The Sharon Tigers will challenge the Franklin Knights at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The timing is sure in Sharon's favor as the team sits on 16 straight wins at home (dating back to last season) while Franklin has been banged up by four consecutive losses on the road.

Franklin's hitters are going to have their work cut out for them on Wednesday: Sharon hadn't allowed a single run the last three times they've hit the field. The Tigers' pitcher stepped up to hand Jamestown a 4-0 shutout on Tuesday. The victory continues a trend for the Tigers in their matchups with the Muskies: they've now won three in a row.

Madelyn Vogan was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She didn't allow a single earned run while striking out 18 over seven innings pitched. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in ten consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and one triple.

Vogan wasn't the only one making solid contact as two players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Claire Bodien, who went 2-for-4 with one RBI.

Meanwhile, Franklin came up short against Cochranton on Tuesday and fell 7-3.

Abigail Boland made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 1-for-3 with one home run. That home run marked the first that she has launched this season.

Sharon's win bumped their record up to 10-1. As for Franklin, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-7.

Franklin's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Wednesday. Sharon has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 12 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Franklin, though, as they've been averaging only 2.8 strikeouts. Will Sharon keep running through batters, or will the Knights buck the trend?

Sharon took their victory against Franklin in their previous matchup on April 1st by a conclusive 13-0 score. Will the Tigers repeat their success, or do the Knights have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.