Franklin, Ind. - The Franklin College baseball team split a Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader with Mount St. Joseph University on Sunday during Senior Day at John P. McDowell Field.

The Grizzlies plated two runs in the eighth inning to pick up a 5-3 win in the opener. MSJ responded with a 12-6 win in the second game.

Franklin battled back from an early 2-0 deficit to score one run each in the third and fourth innings to tie the first game. A sacrifice fly by senior Jameson Brock (Noblesville, Ind./Noblesville) scored freshman Frank Podkul (Schererville, Ind./Andrean) in the third inning.

A sacrifice fly in the fourth inning from freshman Jackson Freed (Westfield, Ind./Westfield) scored junior Braden Pelley (Columbus, Ind./Columbus North) to tie the contest at 2-2.

The Lions scored an unearned run in the fifth inning to regain the lead.

However, a single by Freed with two outs in the sixth inning scored freshman Mitch Schuman (Sunman, Ind./East Central) to tie the game at 3-3.

In the eighth inning, a fielding error with two outs allowed Brock to score the eventual game-winning run. A single by Podkul and a fielding error on the same play would allow Pelley to give Franklin a 5-3 advantage.

Junior Hayden Cleveland (Brownsburg, Ind./Cardinal Ritter) recorded 10 strikeouts in the complete-game victory. The left hander improved to 3-3 on the season.

In the second game, MSJ scored three times in the first inning. Franklin got a run back on a run-scoring single by senior Tyler Ison (Whiteland, Ind./Whiteland Community) in the first inning.

However, the visitors scored six times in the fifth inning and built an 11-1 lead after six innings.

Franklin scored two runs in the seventh inning to cut the deficit to 11-3. Pelley drove home senior Mitch Frey (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) for the first run of the frame. A sacrifice fly by Freed allowed Ison to score.

The Grizzlies scored three runs in the ninth inning. Schuman and Freed each contributed run-scoring singles in the inning.

Franklin returns to action on Tuesday, April 28 at 1 p.m. when it hosts Hanover College in a doubleheader to conclude the home portion of the schedule. Live statistics of both games will be available.