Grove City 8, Franciscan 2 - 7 Innings
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Franciscan Lineup
Kimberly McDaniels P,Â
Jenny Massey LF,
Chloe Cross C,Â
Rachel Cooper CF,
Elizabeth Gibson RF,Â
Brooklynn Miller SS,Â
Ariana Arnone 3B,Â
Alexis McKnight 1B, &Â
Lilly Wahl 2B
Grove City Lineup
Dawson DP, Smyth C, Hal. Dietz 1B, Han. Dietz RF, Linhart 2B, Caldana 3B, Constanti P, McNeil LF, Buck SS, Prouty CF
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How It Happened
    Franciscan hosted Grove City on Holy Thursday afternoon for a softball doubleheader. The visiting Wolverines would strike first in game one, as they plated a run in the first and third innings to take an early 2-0 lead. Defense would let down starter,
Kimberly McDaniels in the fourth, as couple errors would lead to a big three run inning for Grove City.
Chloe Cross would get Franciscan on the board in the fifth, as she drove in McDaniels.
Jenny Massey would also score on the play after runner's interference was called. Smyth would hit the Wolverines second home run of the day in the sixth to set the score at 8-2. Franciscan would not be able to answer in the last two innings, as Grove City would take game number one.Â
At the Plate
-
Alexis McKnight was 3-3 with three singles to the outfield.
-
Kimberly McDaniels was 3-3 while drawing a walk.
-
Chloe Cross had a pair of hits and the lone RBI for the Lady Barons.
In the Circle
-Starter
Kimberly McDaniels pitched all seven innings with three earned runs on her stat line.Â
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Franciscan 5, Grove City 4 - 7 Innings
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Franciscan Lineup
Kimberly McDaniels 2B,Â
Jenny Massey LF,
Chloe Cross C,Â
Rachel Cooper CF,
Elizabeth Gibson 1B,Â
Brooklynn Miller SS,Â
Ariana Arnone 3B,Â
Alexis McKnight DP,
Lilly Wahl P, and
Felicia MacGillivray RF
Grove City Lineup
Dawson P, Smyth DP, Hal. Dietz 1B, Han. Dietz RF, Caldana 3B, Harris C, Buck SS, Moran LF, Prouty CF, & Polese 2B
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How It Happened
  Both teams were held scoreless through three innings of game two on the breezy afternoon in Steubenville. Grove City broke through in the fourth with a home run from Caldana to give them a 1-0 lead. Franciscan responded quickly in the home half of the inning, as
Elizabeth Gibson doubled in
Rachel Cooper.
Ariana Arnone would later knock in Gibson to give Franciscan a 2-1 edge. In the fifth, they would add to their lead when Cooper single in
Chloe Cross. Grove City would score three runs in the sixth to take a 4-3 advantage with Franciscan six outs away from falling in both games.Â
In the seventh,
Kimberly McDaniels led off the inning with a single, and
Jenny Massey did the same to set runners at first and second.
Chloe Cross attempted to bunt them both over, but the Wolverines made an amazing play to get the lead runner out at third.
Rachel Cooper would then hit one up the middle, but she had enough speed to prevent the double play, hence allowing Massey to score from third and tie the game up at 4-4. There then was some confusion on a couple of illegal visits from Franciscan Head Coach
Chris McKnight and he was ejected from the game in a weird series of discussions.
Chloe Cross would come out of the dugout to coach third base for Franciscan. Then
Rachel Cooper would steal second to get into scoring position for
Elizabeth Gibson. The senior first baseman delivered a shot to the outfield, but Cross would hold Cooper at third to put runners on the corners. After a Brooklyn Miller walk,
Ariana Arnone would come up with two outs and the bases loaded. The second offering from Dawson would be erratic, and the wild pitch would allow Cooper to score from third, as Franciscan walked-off Grove City in game two, 5-4.
At the Plate
-
Kimberly McDaniels had three more hits to give her six hits on the day.Â
- Cooper and Gibson each had two hits and an RBI.
-
Chloe Cross had her first triple of the season
In the Circle
-Starter
Lilly Wahl earned the win with one earned run, as she struck out four.Â
Up Next
Franciscan returns to action on Monday, as Geneva comes to town for a doubleheader. The defending PAC champions will be a tough test for the Lady Barons, but they will be up for it after hitting the reset button over Easter Break.Â
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