Franklin and Hickory are an even 5-5 against one another since April of 2019, but likely not for long. The Franklin Knights will look to defend their home field on Thursday against the Hickory Hornets at 4:30 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Franklin took a loss when they played away from home on Monday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They never let Oil City onto the board and left with a 15-0 win. The high-scoring effort was just what Franklin needed considering they were shutout in their previous match.
Jersey Swartz was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run over four innings pitched. Swartz was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, Abigal Boland was incredible, going 3-for-3 with a home run, four RBI, and two runs. Rilee Hanna was another key contributor, scoring two runs while going 3-for-4.
Meanwhile, everything went Hickory's way against Slippery Rock on Tuesday as Hickory made off with a 10-3 victory.
Like Franklin, Hickory also got a great game from a two-way player: Hallie Miller. She struck out six batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off six hits. Miller has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive pitching appearances. Miller was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with a home run, two runs, and two RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Jordyn Hanzelka, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 4-for-4. Another player making a difference was Olivia Schneider, who went 2-for-4 with a triple, a run, and an RBI.
Franklin's win bumped their record up to 8-6. As for Hickory, their victory bumped their record up to 9-7.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Thursday. Franklin hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.4 home runs per game. However, it's not like Hickory struggles in that department as they've been averaging 0.8. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Franklin couldn't quite finish off Hickory when the teams last played back in April and fell 7-5. Will Franklin 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.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
