STEUBENVILLE – The Franciscan softball team sent 10 batters to the plate in the bottom of the sixth inning and all 10 came around to score as the Lady Barons split their senior day doubleheader with Bethany. The Bison won the first game 1-0 before the Lady Barons took the night cap 11-2 in six innings.
 
Between the two games, Franciscan honored its three graduation seniors MK Bender, Amanda Pulice, and Anna Ames. Bender is a two-year member of the Lady Baron squad while Ames and Pulice are the second and third four-year players for Franciscan.
 
The Lady Barons found themselves down early again in the second game as a pair of errors allowed two runs to score for the Bison in the top of the third. Franciscan went quietly in the fourth before they cut the Lady Barons cut the lead in half in the bottom of the fifth. With one out and runners at first and second, freshman Mary Roach looped a single to center to bring home classmate Jenny Massey. After a pitching change, Bethany got its final two outs of the inning to cling to the 2-1 lead.
 
Sophomore reliever Andi Queen got her second-straight 1-2-3 inning in the top of the sixth to set up the offensive explosion in the bottom of the frame.
 
Sophomore Allyson Weiss got the hit parade going in the sixth as she roped a long single to center field. Junior Kathleen Thompson followed with a single to left before freshman Rachel Cooper doubled to left center to bring home Weiss and tie the game at 2-2. Thompson scored and Cooper moved up to third thanks to a wild pitch before freshman Anna Swierczewski doubled to left to give Franciscan a 4-2 lead as Cooper scored.
 
Massey found the perfect time to hit her first career home run as she launched the ball over the center field fence to bring home Swierczewski and give Franciscan a 6-2 lead. Freshman Chloe Cross, Roach, and freshman Tori Luyster strung together three-straight singles to load the bases, still with no outs. Junior Dennise Carrazco moved everyone up a base with a single to left as Cross came home to score. Stepping up to the plate for the second time in the inning, Weiss had the chance to end the game with one swing of the bat. After taking the first pitch for a ball, Weiss crushed a ball over the straight-away center fence for a grand slam and give Franciscan an 11-2 walk-off win in the sixth.

"The girls did a really good job of bouncing back in the second game," remarked head coach James Walker. "It is tough taking four days off in the middle of the season and not struggle in the first game back."
 
Queen picked up her seventh win of the season as she 3.1 scoreless innings of softball, allowing just one hit while striking out one. Pulice started the game in the circle and gave up two unearned runs on two just two hits.

"I was really impressed with Amanda and Andi in the second game," continued Coach Walker. "They have done a nice job of combining to keep teams off balance this season."
 
In the first game, the Lady Barons collected seven hits, including one from each of the top four hitters in the line up. Freshman Sarah Keating suffered just her second loss in the circle as she allowed one run on six hits while striking out four Bison. The lone Bethany run came in the top of the sixth thanks to an RBI single.
 
Franciscan will return to the diamond on Wednesday when the Lady Barons host an important Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference doubleheader with La Roche. The first pitch is scheduled for 3:00 pm in Steubenville.