FRANKLIN – For the first time since 2021, baseball was played at John P. McDowell Field on Saturday (Mar. 11) when the Franklin baseball team hosted Albion on opening day at the Griz' home field.
 
Franklin (5-4) pounded Briton (1-9) pitching in game one to the tune of a 15-4 win. Game two saw Albion's staff get some payback in a 4-1 victory that sets up a rubber match in the series finale.
 
Game One: Franklin 15 – Albion 4
Albion put up two runs in the top of the first but the Grizzlies doubled that total in their first trip to the plate to take the lead for good. Sean Sullivan knocked in two with a single, followed by Anthony Smith drawing a bases loaded hit-by-pitch and a wild pitch that made it 4-2 Griz.
 
Smith and Colby Reed added to the lead with RBIs in the third and Smith knocked in another run in the fifth with a single. Albion got two back in the sixth, but Franklin put the game out of reach with an eight-run seventh inning to cap the scoring.
 
Sullivan went 3-for-4 with four runs scored in the opener while Smith went 2-for-3 with a team-high four RBI. Dylan Sprong (2-0) allowed four hits and struck out two over 5.2 innings of work to earn the win. Aidan Ray and Gavin White combined to toss 3.1 innings of hitless ball in relief.
 
Game Two: Albion 4 – Franklin 1
Albion broke a scoreless tie with a run in the fourth and added to the lead with runs in both the sixth and seventh innings. AJ Sanders got the Grizzlies on the board in the bottom of the seventh, but Franklin couldn't cash in the rest of the game on their way to stranding 10 runners in the second game.
 
Sanders had both of Franklin's hits and Sullivan scored the team's only run. Matthew Johnson (2-1) allowed one earned run on four hits with eight strikeouts over 5.2 innings of work. Sam Peck took the ball the rest of the way, fanning three in 3.1 innings.
 
Up Next
The two teams meet on Sunday (Mar. 12) afternoon at McDowell Field, with the series finale set to begin at 1:00 p.m.