Panther softball has earned its first conference win.
After the Spring Break holiday, the team returned to action on the week of March 16, playing games with East Henderson and Enka. With wins over both including Mountain Eight rival East, they improved their record to 5-2.
On St. Patrick’s Day, the Panthers hosted East in a freezing game at Macon Middle School. Suzanna Cabe took the mound as Franklin’s starting pitcher, striking out three straight Eagles in the first.
In the bottom of the inning Franklin’s offense exploded, nearly batting around the order twice. They plated 11 runs with four singles, a Kendall Rumans double and myriad Eagle miscues.
Franklin’s bats stayed hot in the second, tacking on three more runs with three walks and four singles. East responded in the top of the third, scoring their first run off a walk, a stolen base, a wild pitch and an RBI out.
Both offenses laid dormant in the new two frames, until Payton Manos knocked a leadoff single in the fourth. Rumans then drove Manos in with a double, moved to third on a groundball out and scored on a wild pitch.
Up 16-1 after three complete innings, Franklin triggered the mercy rule to end the game on the spot. The win improved Franklin’s record to 1-1 in the Mountain Eight, after an extra-innings loss in their season opener to Tuscola.
Two nights later they traveled to Enka for a nonconference game, where the Jets took a 5-0 lead through three innings. From there Franklin fought back to go ahead 6-5 in the middle of the seventh, but Enka tied the game in the final frame to force extra innings. The Panthers scored four more runs in the top of the ninth, then held the Jets to two in the bottom of the inning to win 10-8.
Rumans and Meliah Mason belted home runs in the game, with Rumans finishing 3-for-5 at the plate with four RBIs and three runs scored. Having broken Franklin’s all-time record with 30 homers in her first three years, Rumans already has five more through seven games as a senior.
The win improved Franklin’s record to 5-2 overall, ahead of a trip to Tuscola after press time March 23. The conference game was a rematch of the Mounties’ extra-innings win at MMS in Franklin’s season opener.