Franklin junior pitcher Lily Cornell made history at Odell Park Wednesday night, after needing nine strikeouts to beat the state record.
She gave up two hits to Portsmouth Christian batters in the first inning, leaving the record floating in the cool, damp air.
Then she turned up the heat. In rapid succession, she picked up the nine strikeouts she needed and finished the game with 17 Ks.
Cornell smashed right through the 843 strikeout mark set by Kingswood’s Ashley Pinkham in 2006. She finished the night with 852 Ks and has more to go.
“I knew I was able to get there no matter what, at least any game, so I just worked through and pushed through,” she said.
Cornell began playing as a seventh-grader and quickly ascended through the ranks to become a vital piece of Franklin softball.
As a freshman, Cornell reached the 500 mark during the “Strike Out Cancer” game on May 16, 2024 that was dedicated to her mom, who passed away shortly after.
Cornell went on to break the school record her sophomore year and now the state record. The team wore gray jerseys with bright pink socks in memory of her mother.
“I’m doing it all for her,” Cornell said. “It feels good, it’s really what I wanted to wear tonight.
It was a very long road of resiliency for Cornell. She said she never lets things “get” to her, and even heightened emotions lead her to perform better.
Her resilience has been key to her performances on the mound — she just keeps pushing ahead.
Franklin Coach Maddie Trefethen was a little nervous heading into the game. She remembered the young Lily she met playing in the outfield, picking up balls at practice for her older sister’s team.
“I just told her, go into the game, focus on playing how you play, work hard and you’ll absolutely take care of it,” Trefethen said.
It has been a joy watching her grow into a true leader, Trefethen said. And now, Cornell is aiming for 1,000.
Junior Lily Cornell celebrates surpassing the state strikeout record with her team at Odell Park in Franklin on May 13, 2026. Credit: ALEXANDER RAPP / Monitor 
Head Coach Maddie Trefethen jumps into Lily Cornell’s (23) arms after striking out her ninth batter in three innings to beat the state record. Credit: ALEXANDER RAPP / Monitor 
Junior pitcher Lily Cornell looks to her sophomore catcher Bella Laflamme as she celebrates her strikeout state record. Credit: ALEXANDER RAPP / Monitor
The Golden Tornadoes’ (7-1) win, 3-1, against Portsmouth Christian Academy (7-3) in Division IV softball on Wednesday night was packed with a large crowd. Family, friends, classmates, Little League boys, everyone was there to see it.
It was a historic night in many ways. After giving up a run early in the strikeout chase, Cornell blanked PCA the rest of the way.
Franklin had never beaten PCA in program history before. The small intermission to celebrate Cornell’s record on the field sparked an offensive comeback by the Golden Tornadoes.
Senior Sage Slocum hit an inside-the-park home run in the fifth to tie up the game. In the sixth, Cornell started the inning with a base hit.
She then stole second and was driven in by senior first baseman Aubrey Boisvert to score the winning run. The team displayed strong defense and offense.
Sophomore catcher Bella LaFlamme said Cornell is exactly the kind of teammate and pitcher you want on the mound.
LaFlamme just focuses on catching the heat.
As the duo and the team move forward, they have six games left in the regular season. Cornell is well on her way to bumping the record higher and higher.
“Go big, 1,000 senior year, obviously not this year unless we go like far, far, far,” Cornell said.