Beat-up Knight's battle back late for win

Hobbling around like a Red Sox era Bill Buckner, sans the ball dribbling under his glove, the Franklin Knight's softball limped their way back from the cellar the Titusville Rockets put them in earlier this week. 

Calling Tuesday’s softball game between Knight's and the Rockets a battle would be an understatement.

It was a downright war.

Franklin looked like they were going to jump out to quick lead when they out flanked Titusville pitcher Sky Bierce who found herself in trouble with the bases loaded. The sophomore dug in her cleats to get out of the inning without giving up a run.

Then Franklin misplayed a ball in the bottom of the first giving Hannah Peterson a triple. She soon scored on a Kyra Atkins hit drawing first blood against the team that ten-run shut them out them at the beginning of the season.

The already injury depleted Knights got out of the inning only one down, but nearly lost their starting pitcher Jersey Swartz, who took a line drive to the left leg and hit the deck after she somehow managed to make the throw to first for the final out. After several minutes of writhing on the field she got up and hobbled back to the dugout able to continue, but hurting.
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Bierce was more settled down in the second retiring the side in order.

The question remained - how effective would the freshman pitcher be with her damaged plant leg. Titusville smelled blood and took immediate advantage by connecting solid with the ball. Swartz wasn’t as crisp.

Kasey Krepps and Jordan Wynn each pulled hard shots down third base to get on base. Mahalia Campbell singled to right field, scoring the two runners. Gabby Peterson then plated Campbell with a shot to left. The Rockets were rolling up 4-0 after two innings. Swartz got out of the inning with some help from her defense only giving up three runs.

In the third,  the Knights again seemed ready to rally getting both Jillian Ewing and Kirsten Hicks in scoring position. Ewing scored on a wild pitch before Bierce hunkered down to retire the side leaving Hicks stranded.

The Rockets went scoreless in the bottom of the third, also leaving a runner on base.

The Knight's threatened again in the fourth getting the bases jacked only to leave them there.
The Rockets added two more in the fourth.
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An error by the Rocket's center fielder allowed the Knights to rally a bit in the fifth, but a great catch by left fielder Gabby Peterson got the Rockets out of a potentially disastrous inning only giving up three runs and still up 6-4.
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In the bottom of the fifth, Wynn got ahold of one lifting it over the left field fence. It was hard to tell if Wynn or coach Megan Green was happier with the blast, but it put the Rockets up 7-4 with two innings to go in the now soggy and cold game.
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The top of the sixth was a rough inning for Bierce as the Knights began to light it up. Abby Boland sent a dart to right-center. Autumn Fitzgerald doubled. Swartz drove one to center, Leaha Rial drove one over the center fielder’s head to tie the game up at seven.

An error at short gave the Knights their first lead of the game. After the dust settled the Rockets now found themselves down two with only two at bats remaining.
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The Rockets got two in scoring position and appeared to score on a rare throwing error by Knight’s catcher Hicks. The Rocket batter was called for interference and the runners were sent back to their bases where they remained for the rest of the inning.
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The seventh inning was perhaps the longest inning of the day.

​The Knights added three insurance runs. Fitzgerald scored on an Alysa Rial single. Leah Rial got her third RBI with a single and the Knights scored again on a wild pitch to go into the last half of the seventh with 12-7 lead.

The seemingly defeated Rockets came out swinging in the seventh.  Krepps got an RBI single narrowing the lead to 12-9. With two on and the Rockets big bat coming to the plate, the Knights decided to walk Wynn, who earlier homered, loading the bases. Amelia Warner, in for the injured Eden Gray, drew a hard fought walk that brought in Titusville's tenth run. A wild pitch then made it 12-11 before Swartz dug deep for the final strikeout to end the Rockets comeback.

“Ughh,” coach Green said.
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She didn’t know how to describe the game. “Mac Campbell had one hell of a game in the field and at bat,” she said. Campbell was 3 for 4 scoring three times and knocking in two. She also had a monster catch to stop a Knight’s rally.

Green said a few errors and failing to get a couple timely hits was the difference, but her 3-5 Rockets are an improved squad at this point in the season.
“Overall we are looking better. (We) just have to minimize injuries and (eligibility) so that we can have the same players in the same positions consistently.”
In other sports the baseball team had an 11 hit 6-5 win over Grove City, but struggled against Conneaut. They are now 2-5. Girls track dropped a tough on to Oil City 77-72. "It was a tough loss," said coach Stacey McDonald. "The girls really put in a great effort. They did exactly what I asked them to do. We gave it our best shot, but unfortunately couldn't get the last few points we needed for a win."
The boys struggled against the tough Oil City squad, but coach Joe Covell saw great improvement from several of his team who continue to achieve personal best times and distances. They are still 3-2 on the season.

Franklin moves to 6-4 overall and are riding a three game win streak despite injuries and a whole lot of black and blues.