Franklin is 8-2 against Tuscola since May of 2015, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Tuesday. The Franklin Panthers will head out on the road to challenge the Tuscola Mountaineers at 6:00 p.m. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Franklin has nine straight victories, Tuscola has four straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Franklin put the finishing touches on their fifth blowout victory of the season on Monday. Everything went their way against East Henderson as Franklin made off with a 20-2 win. While fans of Franklin might be used to big wins, the 18-run margin marked the team's biggest one yet.
Kendall Rumans made a splash no matter where she played. She pitched two innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits (she also only allowed one walk). Rumans has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive pitching appearances. Rumans was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-3 with a home run, four runs, and two stolen bases.
In other batting news, Franklin got a massive performance out of Avery Moffitt, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 3-for-4. Another player making a difference was Laura Holland, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-2.
Meanwhile, Tuscola fell victim to Smoky Mountain and their airtight pitching crew on Monday. They took a 5-0 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Mustangs. The matchup marked that first time this season in which Tuscola was not able to get on the board.
Addi Sampson spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and two unearned) runs on seven hits and racked up eight Ks.
At the plate, Tuscola saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Alexis Markos, who went 1-for-2 with a stolen base.
Franklin's victory was their ninth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 9-0. Those victories were due in large part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.9 runs per game. As for Tuscola, their loss dropped their record down to 4-8.
Tuesday's game will be a test for both team's pitchers. Franklin hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .439. However, it's not like Tuscola struggles in that department as they've averaged .344. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Franklin's way against Tuscola when the teams last played back in March as Franklin made off with a 20-10 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Franklin since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
