LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Franklin College baseball team collected two key wins on Saturday (Apr. 30) afternoon, besting the Transylvania Pioneers in two thrillers at the University of Kentucky ballpark.

The Grizzlies (25-11, 10-4 HCAC) erased a ninth-inning deficit with a five-run frame to stun the Pioneers (12-21, 6-10 HCAC) and take game one 9-6. Game two saw Franklin hold off a late-inning rally from the Pios for a 5-4 win and a move into a tie for first in the league standings.

Senior Alex Reinoehl closed out both wins, giving him eight saves on the year to match Nate Stonebraker's program record for saves in a season.

Game One: Franklin 9 – Transylvania 6
Matt Earley got the Grizzlies on the board in the first with an RBI ground out but the Pioneers answered with a four-run first inning. Logan Demkovich doubled in a run in the fifth and Colby Reed scored on a wild pitch in the sixth to cut the deficit to one, however the Pioneers countered with a pair of runs in the sixth to take a 6-3 lead.

Sean Sullivan got the Griz a run closer with a sac fly in the seventh, but Franklin still faced a two-run deficit with just three outs to go. Sean Thomas pinch hit to lead off the inning and hit his first career home run to cut the lead to one. With two outs and the bags full, Tysen Lipscomb came through with a two-run single to put the Griz in front. Noah Wood and Case Starkey followed with RBI singles and Reinoehl nailed down the ninth inning to cap the comeback.

Nick McClanahan went six innings with three earned runs allowed and five punch outs as the game one starter. The combination of Reinoehl, Jackson Young and Chris Foote (3-1) combined to keep the Pioneers scoreless over the final three innings.

Game Two: Franklin 5 – Transylvania 4
AJ Sanders got the scoring started with a third inning RBI single with the Pioneers matching that run in the fourth inning. Demkovich put the Grizzlies ahead for good in the fifth with a three-run home run and Sullivan added to the lead with a bases loaded walk in the sixth to make it a 5-1 game.

Desperate to get back in the game, the Pioneers struck for three runs in the eighth before Reinoehl worked out of a jam with the lead still intact. Transy put the game-tying run in scoring position in the ninth, but Reinoehl induced two weak outs to first to complete the sweep.

Damian Tillie (4-2) allowed one earned run on three hits with four walks and six strikeouts over 5.1 innings of work. Tyler Wick bridged the gap to Reinoehl, who worked the final 1.2 innings to match the season record for saves.

Up Next
The Grizzlies will host the Earlham Quakers on Tuesday (May 3) afternoon for two games between the two HCAC co-leaders. First pitch from Center Grove High School is set for 1:00 p.m.