GREENCASTLE, Ind. – The Franklin College baseball team hit the road on Sunday (Mar. 20) for a pair of matchups against in-state foe DePauw University.

The Grizzlies (10-4) won a wild one in the opener, scoring 12 times in the third inning and holding off a late DePauw (5-5) rally for a 16-14 win. Game two saw the Tigers get a measure of revenge with an 11-2 win, with the night cap halted after seven innings due to darkness.

Game One: Franklin 16 – DePauw 14
Franklin kicked off the scoring with a three-run first that saw Logan Demkovich and Andrew Wallace knock in runs and Noah Wood swiping home as part of a double steal. DePauw got two runs in each of their first two trips to the plate before the Grizzlies blew the game wide open in the third.

Sean Sullivan, Adam Taylor and Peyton Blinn all drove in runs with one-out singles to start the onslaught. Lipscomb and Demkovich added to the lead with run-scoring hits before Sullivan belted a grand slam over the left field wall to cap an inning that saw Franklin bring 15 to the plate and make it a 15-4 game.

The Grizzlies got their final run of the game in the sixth thanks to AJ Sanders scooting home on a passed ball, but they had to hold off the Tigers in the final innings. DePauw plated at least one run from the fifth through the eighth innings, but their rally fell short with Alex Reinoehl nailing down the save by retiring all four hitters he faced.

Nick McClanahan got the start and allowed seven runs (two earned) on four hits over three innings. Mitch Merica (1-1) got the win by allowing two runs over three innings in relief.

Game Two: DePauw 11 – Franklin 2 (7 inn.)
The Tigers ripped off a pair of five-run frames before Franklin got on the board in the sixth. Sullivan collected his sixth RBI of the day with a double and Jimmy Wolff drew a bases loaded walk for his first career RBI. But game two was a tough one for the Grizzly offense, who managed just four hits.

Jackson Young (3-1) suffered his first loss of the season, allowing five earned runs in 3 2/3 innings.

Up Next
The Grizzlies will play a pair of re-scheduled games with Trine University on Thursday (Mar. 24) at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind. First pitch is set for 4:00 p.m.