Smoky Mountain had lost six straight on the road, but on Thursday they dropped their record down to 4-16 to make it seven. They came up short against the Franklin Panthers, falling 12-2. Unfortunately, that's the second time they've come up short against the Panthers this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 10-0 back in March.
Smoky Mountain saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Callie Winchester, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base, one double, and one RBI.
As for Franklin, they have been performing well recently as they've won 11 of their last 13 games. That's provided a nice bump to their 15-5 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.4 runs on average over those games.
On Franklin's side, Suzanna Cabe made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit while striking out 12 over six innings pitched. Cabe has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one walk in five consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 3-for-5 with three runs and two RBI. That's the most hits she has posted since back in March.
In other batting news, Ashlyn McConnell was incredible, getting on base in all five of her plate appearances with three RBI, two runs, and one triple. Another player making a difference was Jozy Dehart, who went 1-for-2 with three RBI and one stolen base.
Looking ahead, Smoky Mountain will look to defend their home field on Tuesday against Tuscola at 6:30 p.m. The Mountaineers have struggled to contain batters this season (they've allowed 6.76 runs per game on average), something the Mustangs will no doubt try to take advantage of. As for Franklin, they are taking a road trip to face off against T.C. Roberson at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. The Panthers are facing the Rams at the right time seeing as the Rams are stuck on a four-game losing streak.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
