Softball Recap: Gladstone Comes Up Short on the Road Against St. Helens

Gladstone kicked off their season on the road on Monday and hit a couple of potholes. They fell 4-1 to the St. Helens Lions. If the Gladiators were looking for revenge after losing 19-2 to the Lions when the teams met back in April of 2023, then they'll just have to keep looking.

Ashlynne Franssen was huge no matter where she played even without the win. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 15 batters over six innings while giving up four earned runs off seven hits (and only one walk). Franssen was also big at the plate, going 1-for-2 with one stolen base and one RBI.

Franssen wasn't the only one making solid contact as three players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Gabriella Gunderson, who went 1-for-3 with one triple and one run.

Looking ahead, Gladstone will be defending their home field for the first time this season when they go up against Rainier at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. As for St. Helens, they will hit the road for the first time this season to take on Stayton at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday.