FRANKLIN, Ind. – The Franklin College baseball team wrapped up their opening weekend with two Sunday (Mar. 7) afternoon matchups with the Defiance Yellow Jackets at McDowell Field.

The opening contest needed extra innings to decide a winner with Defiance (1-3) claiming a 9-8 win in 11 innings. Game two was cut short by darkness but was all Grizzlies (2-2) while play was underway as Franklin took it in six innings, 14-1.

Game One: Defiance 9 – Franklin 8 (11 inn.)
The opener was scoreless until the third when both teams plated a pair of runs. Nick Wright got Franklin on the board in the bottom of the inning with a sacrifice fly and Ryan Bixler tied things up when he was able to take home on a wild pitch.

The Grizzlies took the lead with two runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings and held an 8-4 lead when the teams took to the top of the eighth. But Defiance rallied with three runs in the eighth and another with two out in the ninth to send it to extras. The Yellow Jackets completed the comeback with a run in the top of the 11th, stealing the win.

Ryan Bixler went 5-for-7 with two runs and two RBI, setting a career high for hits in a game. Mitch Merica got the start for Franklin going seven innings with seven strikeouts. Alex Reinoehl (0-1) made his season debut for Franklin, throwing the final four innings.

Game Two: Franklin 14 – Defiance 1 (6 inn.)
The Grizzlies wasted no time getting on the board as Nick Wright and Jackson Young brought runs home with singles in the bottom of the first that made it 3-0. Three innings later, Franklin doubled their lead with Young and Garrett Ramsey singling home runs and Ramsey stealing home.

The bottom of the sixth featured and eight-run explosion by the Griz with Ramsey, Wright, Bixler, Young, Quenton Wellington and Tysen Lipscomb all recording RBI hits. At the end of the inning, the umpires made the decision to bring an end to the contest.

Young had a career-high three hits to go along with his four RBI. Wright knocked in a pair of runs and both Lipscomb and Ramsey recorded their first career multi-RBI games.

Nick Elmendorf (1-0) got the start and was in control from the get-go. The Indianapolis, Ind.-native went the distance, scattering four hits and walking two with five strikeouts in his second career complete game.

Up Next
The Grizzlies hit the road for the first time next Saturday (Mar. 13) for a pair of games at Rose-Hulman. First pitch of game one is set for 1:00 p.m.