Franklin sophomore pitcher Izzy Harrison wasn’t going to let a steady light rain bother her.
“Izzy was able to keep it in a zone even through there was rain,” Grizzly Cubs softball coach Kilah Dickey said.
Harrison struck out 11 in host Franklin’s 7-1 Mid-State Conferencevictory over Mooresville Wednesday.
Harrison said she usually just tries to push through the rain.
“Usually in the rain, I just shake it off. I don’t let it bother me,” said Harrison, who gave up three hits and two walks. “I just try to get everything done I need to.”
Harrison helped her own cause with four singles for the Grizzly Cubs (11-3, 7-1 Mid-State).
“I wish I had hit it farther, but it’s OK they were all good hard hits,” Harrison said. “I thought our team hit hard and well this game. When we are having a good inning on defense and then someone gets it going on offense, we all kind of string along and have a good inning.”
The Pioneers (11-6, 4-4) took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on Kendall Grover’s run-scoring single.
Franklin took control by batting around in the fourth, scoring four runs on four hits, an error and walk. Bostyn Parkhurst delivered a two-run single, Emma Rutan had a sacrifice fly and Baylee Parker delivered a run-scoring single.
“We got off to a slow start hitting-wise, then we finally started to string some together,” Dickey said.
The Grizzly Cubs added two runs in the fifth on a double by Macy Hussung, a stolen base and a wild pitch. Parkhurst walked and came home on a sacrifice fly by Morgan Carter. Erin Lee added a RBI single for Franklin in the sixth to make it 7-1.
Franklin delivered 13 hits overall, including two each from Parker, Lee, Hussung and Carter.
“I’m really proud of our team effort,” Dickey said. “Lexi Couch had a diving catch in the outfield; that was pretty cool. We had some big plays from Erin Lee at shortstop. I thought our team chemistry was really good today. We had a lot of hits and I’m proud how they made some adjustments. I feel like we’re really moving in the right direction.”
It was the Franklin’s second consecutive win over the Pioneers after rallying for a 4-2 victory Tuesday.
“They’re a competitive team and they’re going to win a lot of games and they’ve already won a lot of games,” Dickey said of Mooresville. “For us to come out strong and stay strong, I’m very proud of our team.”
