Lexington, Ky. – The No. 23 Transylvania softball team started off the 2021 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Softball Tournament with a 15-7, five-inning win over the Franklin College Grizzlies in Thursday's opening round at Hall Field.
The top seed and host of the three-day conference championships, Transylvania relegated No. 5 seed Franklin into the losers' bracket with their offensive exhibition, led by monster performances from Annie Schuck's and Abby Frazier's seven combined RBI and five combined hits. The Grizzlies will play against No. 3 seed Anderson tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. to stay alive in the tournament.
Transylvania extended its season-best win streak to 14 games to vault into the winner's bracket and an 11:00 a.m. showdown with tournament No. 2 seed Mount St. Joseph tomorrow. The Lions won their opener earlier on Thursday against No. 3 seed Anderson to earn a spot in the winner's bracket.
Transylvania improved to 27-8 overall while Franklin's season ended at 20-14.
Transylvania scored in all five innings to take control from the start for the wire-to-wire win. Franklin staved off elimination with a six-run inning in the top of the fifth to cut a 10-run deficit to four and extend the contest, but the Pioneers immediately countered with the last four runs of the game, punctuated with a walk-off home run from Annie Schuck to end matters.
The Pioneers quickly put their foot on the gas with a five-run first inning as Lexi Childers, Cece Wittry, and Taylor Senter all reached base to lead off the bottom of the first. Schuck scored Childers for the first run of the day on a sacrifice fly RBI and Abby Frazier delivered a hard-hit infield single to drive in Senter and Wittry. Alyssa Nunn tripled to score Frazier and fully rounded the bases with aid from an error on the relay, quickly solidifying a 5-0 lead for the home team.
Kameron Bowling held the Grizzlies in check over her four innings of work, only conceding one run as the Pioneers continued to build their lead inning by inning. Wittry and O'Dell each drove in runs in the second and third innings to raise Transylvania's advantage to 7-0.
Franklin plated one run in the top of the fourth, but the Pioneers loaded the bases and Schuck smacked an RBI single to put the Pioneers at the doorstep of victory in the bottom half of the fourth. The cushion for the Pioneers increased when Frazier drove a double down the left field line to bring home Courtney Gentry and Senter on the way to an 11-1 Transy lead.
The Grizzlies found new life in the top of the fifth, scoring six runs on four hits and two Pioneer errors, forcing the game into the bottom of the fifth with an 11-7 ballgame. But Franklin's rapid rally was instantly countered with a game-ending explosion by Transylvania.
Kadi Weaver led off the bottom of the fifth with a single into left field and a Becca Messing triple quickly made it a 12-7 Transy lead. Childers scored Weaver on an RBI groundout and Wittry provided the second triple in three at-bats with a shot to right centerfield. Senter drove in Wittry on another RBI groundout, placing the Pioneers one run away from victory. Schuck played hero for the second straight inning, smacking a home run over the left field fence to give the Pioneers another 8-run margin, this time at the five-inning threshold.
Schuck finished the day 2 for 3 with three RBI while Frazier went 3 for 3 at the plate with four RBI. Childers was dynamite in the lead-off spot, going 3 for 4 with an RBI and Wittry and Weaver each provided two hits apiece.
Bowling moved to 14-6 this season with the win, striking out five Grizzly batters, issuing no walks, and scattering five hits over four innings.
The HCAC Tournament continues from Lexington tomorrow with three games. The Transy-Mount St. Joseph winners' bracket game leads off the Day 2 HCAC Tournament tripleheader at 11:00 a.m.
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