Softball Game Preview: Franklin Panthers vs. North Davidson Black Knights

The Franklin Panthers will square off against the North Davidson Black Knights on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

Franklin is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They put the hurt on Erwin with a sharp 11-1 win. Winning may never get old, but the Panthers sure are getting used to it with their fifth in a row.

Suzanna Cabe made a splash no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits while striking out six over five innings pitched. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than one walk in eight consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs, one stolen base, and one double.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Ashlyn McConnell, who went 3-for-4 with two runs, two RBI, and one double. That's the most hits she has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Makayla Pendergrass, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base and one run.

Franklin always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .529. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Erwin only posted an OBP of .167.

Meanwhile, after only two runs in their last contest, North Davidson made sure to put some runs up on the board against A.C. Reynolds on Tuesday. The Black Knights' pitchers stepped up to hand the Rockets an 11-0 shutout. The victory was familiar territory for the Black Knights, who have now won six matchups in a row.

Franklin's win was their tenth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 18-5. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.5 runs on average over those games. As for North Davidson, their record is now 18-6.

Franklin might still be hurting after the 12-1 defeat they got from North Davidson when the teams last played back in May of 2022. Can the Panthers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.