Because of a switch to a new division, St. Aloysius fast-pitch softball coach Gene Rogillio wanted to upgrade his Lady Flashes’ schedule.

One of the new additions was playing in the Clinton Tournament right before Spring Break. The other was taking on Class 3A Franklin County. The Lady Bulldogs proved to be the biggest challenge, pounding out 21 singles to beat St. Aloysius 12-4 at Bazinsky Park Monday night.

“They are the only team that has dominated us,” Rogillio said after his team was out-hit 21-4. “We’ve played Warren Central and lost by one point. We lost by one to Brookhaven and three to Clinton. But that right there was the best hitting team I’ve seen this year. They weren’t trying to hit home runs. They just took what you gave them.”

Franklin County (9-4) peppered St. Al starter Catelyn Park with hits up the middle, down the line and just over the head of her infielders. The Lady Bulldogs had 13 hits in the first two innings and built an 8-3 lead.

Park (1-2) adjusted and limited Franklin to just a run and four hits over her last two innings.

Park left with St. Al trailing 9-3. Sarah Franco came on in relief in the fifth inning and struck out three over her first two innings.

St. Al, though, got just a single run, that coming off a two-out error in the fifth to make it 9-4. Franklin then got three runs in the seventh, all unearned, to finish the game.

“You know we could’ve started Sarah and maybe it’s different, but we’ve still got to hit,” Rogillio said. “We hit good our first game and haven’t hit well since.

“I’m hoping playing someone like Franklin County should help us for Stringer, but I have no idea what Stringer has.”

St. Al is 3-0 in Division 6-1A play. They are 2-0 against two other 1A teams and 1-4 against clubs that are 3A or better.

Franklin County was also coming in after playing four games Saturday at the Grace Christian Tournament in Alexandria, La. Vicksburg High played in the same tournament, going 1-2, beating Pickens, La., 3-2, and losing to St. Thomas 2-0 and Harrisonburg 10-4. Franklin went 2-2, playing in the heavyweight pool. Vicksburg (6-5) is scheduled to play at Franklin County today.

“Our pool was pretty stacked,” Franklin coach Dana Smith said. “I don’t why they put us in there but we still went 2-2. We lost to Calvin, which had a Northwestern Louisiana commit pitching, and she two-hit us. Then we lost to Avoyelles Parish but gave that one away. Today, we played pretty well.”

Eight of Franklin’s nine batters had at least two hits. Monea Cameron, the No. 7 hitter, went 4-for-5 and drove in three runs. Kristin Oglesby and Desiree Buie had three hits each.