Lori Franchina

Female Player  - Presented by Gerri Riley

Lori Ann “Franny” Franchina has been playing softball for 38 years of which 20 have been with USSSA. She has played on such teams as Flocky’s, Coastal Extreme, Fair Warning, Twisted Sistahs, Twisted Fossils and Lady Magic in the Women’s Program. In the Co-ed classification, she has played on Total Look Salon. She has amassed a lifetime .680 batting average. 

Early in Franny’s softball career, she suffered a devastating injury and was told her softball career was over. She was at an indoor softball practice and a bat accidentally slipped out of her teammates hands and struck her in the face. She suffered 34 facial fractures and 5 complete breaks for which she had to undergo reconstructive surgery. A total of 5 plates and 10 screws were used to reconstruct her upper jaw and teeth. She knew at that moment that her career was not over, but rather the work was just beginning. Many times she told her teammates that she would be back on the field the next season, and her teammates used it as motivation. She truly knew that she would be back on the field and in fact did return to the starting lineup less than 7 months later. It was then that Franny knew just how important softball was in her life.

Franny’s list of individual awards:

• 2011 Mothers Day Madness All Tournament Team
• 2012 Mixed Qualifier Tournament Co-MVP
• 2012 Mixed Berth Invitational Tournament Co-MVP
• 2012 Mass Mixed D States All Tournament Team
• 2013 Holyoke Mixed D Qualifier All Tournament Team
• 2014 Women's Northeast D National All Tournament Team
• 2015 Women's D World Tournament All Tournament Team

Franny believes softball is a game of inches which is played with a bat, a ball and bases. When she plays the game of softball, she is transformed into a player within the game of many players that at any moment has the opportunity to gain an advantage against the other team. She feels this can be done by getting a hit, making a grab in the outfield, or scoring the go ahead run. The most exciting part for her is never knowing when that moment it going to come. This makes her stay focused, positive and ready for that one moment. 

As Franny looked back at her playing career, she could see just how special USSSA was to her. She started off her career playing against the Olympic Team in Decatur, Illinois. She also tried out for the Olympic Team. These still rank pretty high on her greatest thrills list. 

Another one of Franny’s greatest thrills came when she was playing for Twisted Fossils at the Senior World Masters Championship in Las Vegas. In Franny’s words “Every year the masses of teams from all across the country have one goal in common. Only one thing on their minds from March 'til September!!!! The World Series!!!!! In 2014, as a member of the Twisted Fossils we became World Champions and one of the most thrilling aspects of that moment is that the members of that team share a common bond for the rest of their lives and HAVE A RING TO PROVE IT!!! 

“The USSSA Organization is wonderful. It provides teams and tournaments equally for men and women. I feel the USSSA organization has proven to be classy and professional. I have spent the last 12 years playing for various teams across New England and have traveled to so many states and have made so many memories along the way. The experiences are only made better by having a well organized program to participate in. The USSSA has provided us that experience.”