LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Franklin College baseball team faced elimination on Friday (May 21) morning when they took on the Anderson Ravens in the first contest of day two of the 2021 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) Tournament.

Franklin saw their bid for a third straight HCAC Tournament title come to an end at the hands of the Ravens (23-18) with Anderson taking a 7-3 victory. Eight different Grizzlies recorded hits in the game, with Quenton Wellington's two singles leading all players.

Anderson capitalized on a two-out error to plate two runs in the second, but Franklin would get back within a run in the third when Tysen Lipscomb barreled one up and roped a ground rule double, scoring Ryan Bixler to make it a 2-1 game.

Franklin plated their second run in the bottom of the sixth when Wellington singled up the middle, scoring Colby Reed to bring Franklin within a pair at 4-2. Logan Demkovich trimmed the lead to 4-3 in the seventh with a two-out solo home run, giving him a career-high 10 for the year.

A two-run eighth and one-run ninth for the Ravens would pad the lead to four, ending Franklin's comeback bid. The Grizzlies left 14 runners on base in the game, putting someone on in all nine trips to the plate.

Nick McClanahan (6-1) struck out four an allowed one earned run on six hits over 4 2/3 innings. Alex Reinoehl went the final 4 1/3 out of the bullpen, striking out three and allowing one earned run.

The Grizzlies end the 2021 campaign with a 25-14 record.