The Wilmington College softball team dropped a pair of non-conference games Sunday, falling to Franklin 7-5 in the first game and losing 9-1 in the second game.
Wilmington (5-13 overall) has lost seven of its last eight games, and will stay in non-conference action by traveling to Hanover Wednesday.
GAME ONE: FRANKLIN 7, WILMINGTON 5
The Grizzlies scored six runs in the final three innings, including a four-run fifth that tied the game to record the 7-5 win.
Wilmington raced out to a 5-1 lead with a five-run first inning. An RBI groundout by Kerrie Trautman (Hartville, OH/Field) scored Savannah Hooper (Leesburg, OH/Wilmington), and an RBI sacrifice fly by Jess Clutter (Englewood, OH/Northmont) scored Hillary Daria-White (Felicity, OH/Felicity Franklin) to give WC the lead.
Sophomore Sydney Kelly (Cincinnati, OH/Sycamore) doubled home a pair of runs, and came around to score on a single by Jessie Stewart (Fredericktown, OH/Highland).
However, Wilmington managed just three hits for the rest of the game.
Daria-White was the lone Wilmington player with multiple hits, finishing 2-for-4 with a run scored.
Freshman Beth Persicano (Knoxville, TN/Cincinnati Turpin) allowed seven runs, six earned, on 10 hits to take the loss.
GAME TWO: FRANKLIN 9, WILMINGTON 1
Hooper and fellow freshman Chandler Fields (Delaware, OH/Rutherford B. Hayes) combined for five of Wilmington's eight hits as the Fightin' Quakers fell to Franklin, 9-1.
Fields' RBI double in the bottom of the second inning was WC's lone extra-base hit as she went 2-for-4 in her first career start. Hooper went 3-for-4 with a stolen base to lead the Fightin' Quakers.
Senior Sarah Maraan (Cincinnati, OH/McAuley) took the loss in relief, allowing five runs (three earned) on eight hits in three innings of action.