Franklin County’s softball team did just what it wanted to do in two of its Capital City Showcase games – jump out to an early lead and roll to victory.
The Lady Flyers weren’t able to do that in two other contests and finished 2-2 in the tournament at Lakeview Park this weekend. FCHS hosted the event.
Franklin County, which went 2-1 in pool play, advanced to the single-elimination portion of the tournament. There the Lady Flyers lost to Holy Cross 6-1.
“We had one bad inning,” FCHS coach Tracy Spickard said. “We got back on our heels a little bit after that and dropped our heads a little bit.
“We left way too many people on base, and you can’t do that against good teams and be successful.”
FCHS (10-5) scored its run in the top of the first against Holy Cross. Shelby Sanders led off with a single and after a strikeout Sydney Wiard doubled to send Sanders to third.
A base hit by Kara Howard brought Sanders home.
Holy Cross tied the game in the bottom of the first as pitcher Morgan Gailor hit a two-out solo home run, and the Lady Cougars put five runs on the board in the second inning with four singles, a sacrifice fly and an error.
Franklin County loaded the bases with two outs in the third, but a fielder’s choice ended the inning with no runs scoring.
The Lady Flyers also had the bases loaded in the fifth inning, this time with one out, but the runners were left stranded by a strikeout and a fielder’s choice.
Wiard hit a double and single for FCHS, Sanders and Howard both singled twice, and Ashley Hack and Brianna Banks each had a base hit. Howard pitched for the Lady Flyers.
Holy Cross had eight hits, led by Gailor with a home run and Katelyn Heines with two singles.
FCHS opened tournament play Friday night with a 2-1 loss to the Christian Academy of Louisville, and the Lady Flyers completed pool play Saturday with a 10-2 win over Conner and a 10-0 victory over Graves County.
“We were in a tough pool,” Spickard said. “We played Christian Academy of Louisville. They’re a good team and have the best pitcher we’ve seen all year.”
The game was scoreless through four innings. FCHS went ahead 1-0 in the fifth, and CAL came back with two runs in the sixth for the win.
Alyssa Gaines and Macy Johnson both singled, accounting for all of Franklin County’s hits. Howard gave up just four hits to the Lady Centurions.
“We didn’t play bad,” Spickard said, “but it took awhile to adjust to the pitching.
“We came back after that and played another nice team, a well-coached team in Conner,” she added. “We got an early lead and kept the pressure on them.”
FCHS scored three runs in the first inning, three more in the third and closed out the scoring with four runs in the fifth. Conner scored both of its runs in the first inning.
Johnson and Howard both had two singles in the game, and Wiard, Banks and Gaines each had a base hit. Howard was the Lady Flyers’ pitcher.
That brought up Graves County as FCHS’ final pool play opponent.
“Graves County has been getting votes in the polls,” Spickard said. “I watched them play Conner Friday night and they were hitting the cover off the ball.
“We came ready to play,” she added. “We got a jump on them early, put pressure on them, and I think it rattled them a little.
“That’s what we want to do every game – put pressure on teams consistently by getting out of the gates fast.”
FCHS was halfway to its mercy-rule victory with five runs in the first inning. Sanders led off with a double, and Wiard, Howard and Emmy King all singled.
The Lady Flyers added a run in the third inning, two more in the fourth to go up 8-0, and they closed out the game in the fifth with two more runs for the 10-0 victory.
Sanders hit three doubles in the game, Wiard, Howard and Kig all singled twice, and Johnson, Hack and Banks each had a base hit.
Howard pitched a three-hitter for FCHS.
Franklin County plays its next game at home Tuesday against Woodford County.
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