Softball Game Preview: Franklin Lions vs. Lexington Eagles

For the second straight game, Franklin will face off against Lexington. The Lions will be playing in front of their home fans against the Eagles at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams are headed into the matchup with plenty of momentum (Franklin has won ten straight at home, while Lexington won three straight on the road), something that'll have to change.

Franklin is probably headed into the match with a chip on their shoulder considering Lexington just ended the team's 14-game winning streak on Tuesday. They lost 14-5 to the Eagles. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest defeat the Lions have suffered since March 2, 2024.

For Lexington's part, Taylor Akin spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned (and one unearned) runs on nine hits and racked up six Ks. Akin has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one walk in seven consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, Lexington got a massive performance out of Maya Bell, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with one home run, two stolen bases, and three runs. The dominant performance also gave Bell a new career-high in RBI (three). Another player making a difference was Averie Mathews, who went 2-for-5 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs.

Lexington hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least three strikeouts batters in eight consecutive contests.

Lexington has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won seven of their last eight games. That's provided a nice bump to their 14-5 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.8 runs over those games. As for Franklin, their loss was their first in the district, dropping their district record down to 6-1 and their overall record down to 20-3-2.