WILMINGTON, Ohio - The Wilmington College softball team fell in both games of a doubleheader in its season opener against Franklin College on Thursday afternoon. The Grizzlies took game one 7-6 and won the nightcap 3-1 in five innings with the second game called due to darkness.
In game one, the Fightin' Quakers opened the scoring in the bottom of the first as Arianna Layne, the reigning Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Freshman of the Year, took the first pitch for a ride of the center field fence. The Grizzlies answered, however, with a five-hit, four-run inning further aided by a Quaker error. A three-up, three-down bottom of the second had the Grizzlies up 4-1.
Wilmington chipped away at the deficit in the fourth as Judaea Wilson reached on a fielder's choice with the bases loaded and Logann Julian singled to drive in another run. The Grizzlies stretch the Quaker deficit to four runs (7-3) with a three-run fifth inning, but Wilmington once again rallied in the sixth. An RBI-triple from Bailey Hypes scored two runs and Layne, the next batter, doubled home Hypes. Unfortunately for the hosts, a groundout stranded the tying run at second.
Lindsey Carter, who started at left field and came in to relieve WC starter Izzy Rothrock in the fifth, doubled to left center with two outs in the seventh with her team trailing 7-6. Lizz Hadley looked to tie the game by ripping a shot into left center field, but a diving catch ended the game.
Sydney Pitts earned the win for Franklin, scattering 11 hits with six earned runs and two strikeouts in 5.2 innings pitched. Delanie Gourley earned her first save of the year, recording the final four outs for the Grizzlies. Rothrock took the loss for the Quakers, allowing four earned runs on six hits with five strikeouts in four innings. Carter, who went 4-for-4 in the game hitting, pitched the final three innings.
Sydney Bostic led the way for Franklin, going 4-for-4 in the three-hole in the lineup. Annie Kluemper and Emily Steib also had multi-hit contests. Layne joined Carter as the other Quaker to tally multiple hits, both of which were of the extra-base variety.
In game two, Franklin scored first with a run in the top of the first, but a double from McKenna Archey scoring Carter tied the game in the bottom of the second. Wilmington had a chance to take the lead in the fourth, but a groundout ended the threat. With darkness coming, Genesis Munoz delivered the game-winning runs for the Grizzlies in the top of the fifth, hitting a single to left center scoring two runs with two outs.
Both starting pitchers – Alexis Stringfellow and Stephanni Kleber – pitched five innings, allowed five hits, struck out a single batter, walked a single batter and surrendered a single earned run. The difference was two unearned runs in the fifth that gave Kleber the win and Stringfellow the loss.
Archey was the lone individual to have multiple hits for either side.
Wilmington will travel to Fort Myers, Florida, for a five-game, 10-day trip beginning on Sunday.
