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Box Score 2 GREENWOOD, Ind. – Senior catcher Logan Demkovich clubbed three home runs to move into a tie for the most long balls in a single season, and the Franklin College baseball team moved into sole possession of first place in the conference with a sweep of Manchester on Saturday (Apr. 16).
Demkovich belted three home runs and the Grizzlies (22-6, 7-1 HCAC) came back to beat the Spartans (5-18, 2-6 HCAC) in both games. Tysen Lipscomb walked it off in extras in game one to give the Grizzlies a 9-8 win and Lipscomb clubbed the go-ahead home run in a 6-4 win in game two.
Game One: Franklin 9 – Manchester 8 (10 inn.)
Both team's starters were locked in with Franklin's Nick McClanahan and Manchester's Carter Hooks dominating through three scoreless frames. The Spartans scraped a run across in the fourth but Demkovich got it back with a solo home run in the bottom of the inning to tie things up.
Manchester plated two in the sixth and four in the eighth while the Grizzlies struggled to solve Hooks. Down 7-1, the Grizzlies finally got to Hooks in the eighth with AJ Sanders clubbing a two-run shot and Matt Early launching a three-run blast to cut the Manchester lead to 7-6 and chase Hooks from the game.
With one out in the ninth, Demkovich stepped in with the bases empty and drilled a no-doubter over the wall in left field, tying the game and sending it to extra innings.
Two Franklin errors allowed the Spartans to plate a run in the 10th, but a walk and two hit by pitches loaded the bases for Lipscomb with two outs in the bottom of the inning. The junior swatted the first pitch he saw into right field, scoring Sean Thomas and Cam Miller to cap the comeback.
McClanahan allowed three runs on five hits and struck out eight over seven innings of work. Alex Reinoehl (2-1) claimed the win with two hitless innings in relief.
Game Two: Franklin 6 – Manchester 4
Manchester jumped on Franklin starter Jackson Young early, scoring three runs in the top of the first. But the junior would settle into a groove after a tough first, not allowing a run the rest of the night.
Help came in the bottom of the fourth inning when Demkovich led off the inning with his third solo shot of the day, moving him into a tie with former teammate Frank Podkul for the most home runs in a season with 16. Adam Taylor knocked in a run later in the inning to cut the Spartan lead to 3-2.
A throwing error allowed the Grizzlies to plate the tying run in the sixth and Lipscomb put the Grizzlies in front for good with a two-run blast in the seventh. Earley crushed his second homer of the day later in the inning to make it 6-3 Franklin with two innings to go.
Manchester would threaten in the ninth inning, but Reinoehl was able to retire the final hitter of the game to pick up his fifth save of the year. Young (5-1) allowed three runs on eight hits with three strikeouts over seven innings of work.
Up Next
Franklin hits the road on Tuesday (Apr. 19) night to take on Rose-Hulman in a pair of games between two teams at the top of the HCAC standings. First pitch from Terre Haute is set for 4:00 p.m.
