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ERIE – Franklin’s incredible postseason run continued Monday as the Knights knocked off top-seeded Villa Maria, 3-0, to win the District 10 Class 4A softball title, the first in program history.
The Knights, who entered the tournament as the 6-seed, had to beat the No. 3 (Warren), No. 2 (Hickory) and No. 1 (Villa) seeds to get the championship. And, as has been the theme throughout the D10 tournament, they didn’t it with stellar pitching and timely hitting.
Franklin scored all three of its runs with two outs in the seventh inning. Rilee Hanna led off with a single and moved to second on a ground out. With two outs, Syndi Hoobler singled to put runners on the corners. Erin Janidlo reached on an error and Hanna came in to score. Kaylyn Fry followed with a 2-run single to give Franklin its three runs.
Trinity Edge retired the Victors in order in the bottom of the inning to seal the win.
Edge only allowed three runners into scoring position in the game. In the third, Haley Dever reached on an error and stole second, but she was put out trying to get to third on a ground ball. Emalie Thomas singled and went to second on a passed ball in the fourth. She tagged and went to third on Maddison Hess’s flyout, but Edge ended the inning with a strikeout. And in the fifth, Dever hit a 1-out triple, but couldn’t come home as Annabella Cipalla popped out and Jenna Wagner flew out to end the inning.
Dever had two of Villa’s three hits. Wagner took the loss as she gave up three unearned runs on six hits with a pair of walks and 10 strikeouts.
Hoobler had a pair of hits and scored a run. Fry had two RBI.
Edge got the win after she scattered three hits over seven innings with three walks and 10 strikeouts.
Franklin will take on the No. 3 team out of the WPIAL in the first round of the PIAA state tournament Monday, June 7.
