ANDERSON, Ind. – The Franklin College baseball team headed north on Sunday (Apr. 18) for two critical conference games with the Anderson Ravens in a matchup of two teams near the top of the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) standings.

A wild game one went the Grizzlies' (15-7) way, with Franklin scoring six times in the final three innings to earn a 10-8 comeback win. Franklin looked to another late-inning rally in the night cap to steal a win, but the Ravens (15-10) were able to hold on and take a 10-7 victory.

Game One: Franklin 10 – Anderson 8
The Grizzlies used their plate discipline right away, drawing three first inning walks that all came in to score on Logan Demkovich's bases-clearing double and a 3-0 FC lead. The Ravens would rattle off six unanswered runs before a Quenton Wellington sacrifice fly in the sixth stopped the rally and cut the Raven lead to 6-4.

Down by three in the seventh, the Grizzlies tied things up when Colby Reed was hit by a pitch with the bags full and Wellington followed with a two-run double. Anderson plated a run in the seventh to re-claim the lead, but Franklin jumped back in front with two runs in the eighth. Sean Sullivan added an insurance run in the ninth with a bases loaded walk and the Grizzlies worked a spotless ninth to close out the comeback win.

Tyler Wick got the start and struck out three over four innings of work. Jackson Young (3-0) earned his second win in as many days and Krae Sparks nailed down the final six outs to earn his first career save in his first relief appearance. The Grizzlies drew 15 walks in the opener with Ryan Bixler and Sullivan walking four times each.  

Game Two: Anderson 10 – Franklin 7
Demkovich opened the scoring with a bases-loaded walk in the first and knocked in his second run of the day with a solo shot in the third. The Ravens jumped out to a big lead with three runs in the sixth and three more in the eighth to take a 10-3 lead into the final inning.

With two outs in the ninth, Ryan Bixler wore a pitch with the bases full to get Franklin a run closer. Nick Wright followed with a three-run double to get the Grizzlies within three, but any further rally was snuffed out one batter later.

Bryce Pause entered the game in the second inning and lasted a career-long 4.2 innings in relief. Wright had three hits and Franklin's offense drew 15 more walks to give them 30 for the day.

Up Next
Franklin is off until next Saturday (Apr. 24) when they host the Mount St. Joseph Lions for two games at McDowell Field. First pitch is set for noon.