BRANDT – The Franklin Monroe softball team run ruled Bethel 17-1 in five innings on Friday evening, scoring seven runs in two separate innings and topping it off with a three-run final at-bat.

In the top of the first inning, the Lady Jets were able to advance runners to second and third base thanks to singles from Kennedy Morris and Emilee Morris but were unable to score.

Franklin Monroe pitcher Emilee Morris started off a bit slow in the bottom of the first, giving up a single and double to the first two Bethel batters, but struck out the next two with the inning ending on a ground out.

Bethel struggled on the mound in the second inning, giving up a double to Morgan Bingham – twice in the same inning – placing six batters on base due to two wild pitches into the dirt, two walks and two batters struck with pitches. Franklin Monroe’s first four runs were scored because of these pitching errors.

Eventually, the pitches became hittable, and a Nychelle Cool single sent in Carrie Baker for the score, Bingham sent in Emilee Morris and Morris, in return, sent in Cool to make the score 7-0 at the end of a long at-bat for the Lady Jets.

The Bethel Bees fought back with a double from Morgan Reittinger and a sacrifice hit by Ashley Bucholtz to send in a runner, making the score 7-1 to end the bottom of the second.

In the top of the third inning, the Lady Jets showed off their skills on defense, ending Bethel’s at-bat with a fly-out double play with a runner being tagged out at first base.

The Lady Jets scored early and often in the top of the fourth with Kennedy Morris scoring on a wild pitch, Allie Armstrong scoring from a walk with the bases loaded and Bingham scoring after a batter was hit with the pitch. The inning closed with RBI doubles that sent in Bridget Filbrun, Hackney, Kinsey Goins and Baker, making the score 14-1.

Franklin Monroe played excellent defense in the bottom of the fourth, with three Bethel batters up,and three out due to two fly outs and a strikeout by pitcher Emilee Morris

In the top of the fifth inning, the Lady Jets scored three more runs – a RBI from Filbrun to send in Maddi Schaar, Bingham scoring on a walk and a RBI from Kennedy Morris sending in Filbrun before their final at-bat ended with the score 17-1. Bethel managed to get one hit with its last breath but scored no runs which resulted in the game ending via run rule.

Baker went 3-for-4 with one steal, two runs scored and one RBI. Kennedy Morris went 3-for-3 with two stolen bases and one run scored. Cool had a single, one run scored and one RBI. Bingham went 3-for-3 consisting of two doubles and a single, one stolen base, three runs scored and one RBI.

Filbrun went 1-for-2 with three runs scored. Goins had two runs scored. Hackney had a run scored. Schaar went 1-for-1 with a run scored.

Emilee Morris had a solid day at the mound, pitching the necessary five innings with five hits, one walk, one earned run and five strikeouts.