Rockdale graduate Franklin powers GSU to softball win

The offense for the Georgia State softball team hadn’t produced much through three innings of Tuesday’s game at Bob Heck Field. But a former Rockdale County prep standout got her collegiate team’s offense going, then led them to a huge come-from-behind victory.

MeQuilla Franklin put Georgia State on the scoreboard with a big hit in the fourth inning, then ripped a go-ahead grand slam in the fifth as the Panthers defeated Kennesaw State 7-5.

Georgia State batted around and scored six times in the fifth against three Kennesaw pitchers. Reliever Morgan Sikes started the frame and gave up a lead off double to Jessica Clifton. After a strike out, Mallory Koepke ripped an opposite field, two-run home run that bounced off the light tower in right-center field.

“We needed something good to happen (and) that kind of made us believe,” said GSU coach Roger Kincaid.

That got the Panthers to within 4-3, but the hosts weren’t done.

Logan Viers walked the only batter she faced - Lauren Coleman - and Mathews re-entered and walked Callie Alford. Megan Litumbe followed with a sharp single to right field and Morgan Brown, who had pinch-ran for Coleman, tried to score from second. Alexis Collis made a strong throw home and Brown, a few feet from the plate, ran back towards third. Brown just beat the throw, but Alford arrived at third at the same time and was tagged out. After a catcher’s interference call allowed Taylor Thorpe to reach first and loaded the bases, Franklin, a Rockdale graduate, hit the first pitch she saw to straight away center field for her second grand slam of the season and Georgia State was ahead to stay.

“Anytime anybody gets a hit, you definitely want to keep moving the line. We just kept producing,” said Franklin, in her second season with GSU after transferring from Chattanooga State Community College. “It was great. It felt good to help the team.”

Kennesaw State got a run back in the sixth when Missy Perkowski drew a one-out walk and scored on a two-out single by Taylor Denton to make it 7-5. The Owls put the tying runs on base in the seventh - Courtney Sutter doubled and Megan Veringa walked - but Katie Worley got two harmless fly outs to end the game.

“We needed this one bad, it was big for us,” Kincaid said.

Georgia State trailed 4-0 when Alford, a Heritage graduate, led off the fourth with a double off Mathews, who started the game and allowed a total of four earned runs in 4 2/3 innings pitched. After the right-hander induced a pair of pop outs, Franklin’s stand-up triple into the right field corner chased home Alford and made it a 4-1 game.

“MeQuilla’s got speed, but she also has pop in her bat,” Kincaid said of Franklin. “She’s done a great job for us.”

GSU starter Kaitlyn Medlam struggled in 2 2/3 innings, walking three and allowing three runs (two earned). Kennesaw State scored one run in each of the first four innings, taking a 1-0 lead when Alford’s passed ball allowed Kara Chambers to score in the opening inning. The Owls went up 2-0 on Veringa’s mammoth solo home run over the scoreboard in right-center field in the second, then it was a three-run cushion after Angie Dascoli had a lead off walk in the third and scored on Veringa’s line drive single passed the head of reliever and winning pitcher Eron Milton. Denton’s infield single against Milton in the fourth made it a 4-0 game.

Photo: Rockdale graduate MeQuilla Franklin rips a fourth-inning triple in Georgia State’s win over Kennesaw State.

Story at rockdalecitizen.com