Hiwassee Dam Eagles (Murphy, NC) backers exited the stadium thrilled Thursday as they saw their softball squad nip the host Franklin Panthers (Franklin, NC), 7-5 in a non-league challenge.

The Eagles now own a 12-0 record. They take the field next when they host Blue Ridge for a challenge on Friday, April 22. Hiwassee Dam will battle a Bobcats squad coming off a 20-0 league loss to Hayesville (Hayesville, NC). The Bobcats record now stands at 0-10.

With the loss, Franklin falls to 7-5 on the campaign. The Panthers host Smoky Mountain (Sylva, NC) to battle the Mustangs in a Western NC Athletic 2A/3A challenge on Friday, April 22. The Mustangs enter the challenge with a record of 9-7. Smoky Mountain won 13-3 in their recent league challenge against West Henderson (Hendersonville, NC)