DANVILLE, Ky. – The early non-conference slate for the Centre softball team came to a close on Sunday afternoon with losses of 10-7 and 5-6 to Franklin College.
The Colonels hold a 3-7 record as Southern Athletic Association (SAA) action is set to begin this week.
GAME ONE: Franklin 10, Centre 7
- The Gold & White started the day on a positive note.
Izzy Rushing walked to start the bottom of the the first inning. The sophomore found herself on third after
Abby Duncan reached on an error and they then stole one base each.
Layne Ogle walked next to load the bases.
- With those bases loaded
Kaylee Gregory hit a sacrifice fly to score Ogle then
Andrea Searcy hit a double that sent Duncan home. After
Emily Lammers walked,
Rylie Bentley was hit by a pitch and Ogle crossed home.
- The scoring onslaught had one more burst thanks to
Morgan Tabor. The sophomore hit a grand slam, the first of the year for Centre, to push the home squad's lead to seven unanswered runs.
- Between the top of the third and the bottom of the second the Grizzlies sent 10 runners home to turn the tables and claim the lead
- The Colonels battled despite being down late. Gregory walked to lead off the bottom of the final frame. Searcy then reached on a fielder's choice that set down Gregory. Lammers got the offense going with a single that put runners on first and second, but the Grizzlies got the final two outs in one play to take the first game 10-7.
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Lucy Baseheart pitched three and two-thirds innings in her start. She led all Centre pitchers with three strikeouts.
Lydia Rice followed and stayed in the circle for 1 2/3 innings.
Kaylee Gregory hurled the final 1 2/3 innings for the Colonels.
GAME TWO: Franklin 6, Centre 5
- Franklin flipped the script of the first game and built a 6-0 margin that held until the bottom of the fifth.
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Cheney Floyd's bat led off the bottom of the fifth with a double to right field. Then a
Caroline Unruh single sent Floyd home to cut into the Grizzly lead.
Hailey Watson followed up that run with an RBI of her own on a double that scored Unruh.
- Centre added two more runs to the comeback attempt in the fifth frame thanks to an Ogle double that tallied two RBI courtesy of Rushing and Watson.
- Two strikeouts and a fly out to center for Franklin the top of the sixth gave the Gold & White faithful even more hope for a turning of the tables.
- A Rushing double, with Lammers on base thanks to an error and Unruh thanks to a single, sent Lammers running home to cut the lead to 6-5.
- Centre got a hit in the final frame thanks to a Searcy single, but the Colonels succumbed to the Grizzlies 6-5 in the final of two games.
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Mia Tomillo started in the circle and pitched for two innings. She allowed only one earned run and walked just one batter in her 10 at bats in action. Gregory pitched for one inning and struck out one. Searcy struck out nine batters, a season high for the Gold & White, in the final four innings for Centre.
UP NEXT
SAA play starts for the Colonels on Saturday at home against Rhodes College. Centre will host the Lynx for games at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. eastern on Saturday before putting on a single game on Sunday at 1 p.m.
