Softball Game Preview: Murphy Bulldogs vs. Franklin Panthers

Murphy hasn't had much luck against Franklin recently, but that could start to change on Wednesday. The Bulldogs will look to defend their home field against the Panthers at 4:30 p.m. The two teams are strolling into their contests after big wins in their previous games.

Murphy is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. Everything went their way against Andrews on Tuesday as they made off with a 25-5 victory. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the team's high-flying offense, the game also marked the team's biggest win of the season.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Franklin, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Thursday. Everything went their way against Tuscola on Friday as they made off with an 11-1 victory. The Panthers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won nine matches by six runs or more this season.

Suzanna Cabe made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She struck out nine batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits (and not a single walk). Cabe was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with one home run, two stolen bases, and five RBI. That's the most stolen bases she has posted since back in March.

In other batting news, Ashlyn McConnell was a standout: she scored a run while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Meliah Mason, who scored three runs while going 2-for-3.

Franklin pushed their record up to 13-4 with the win, which was their sixth straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.7 runs over those games. As for Murphy, they are on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four games. That's provided a nice bump to their 7-5 record this season.

Murphy came up short against Franklin in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, falling 13-9. Will the Bulldogs have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.