FRANKLIN – The Franklin baseball team opened a three-game series with the Trine Thunder on Sunday (Mar. 19) afternoon on a cold and windy day at John P. McDowell Field.
The Grizzlies (7-5) staved off defeat in the bottom of the ninth inning with a two-out game-tying double and bested the Thunder (6-6) in extra innings, 7-6.
Facing a two-run deficit in the bottom of the first, the Grizzlies battled back to even thanks to a throwing error that allowed a run to score and an RBI ground out from
Andrew Wallace. Franklin claimed their first lead of the day in the third, with
Sean Sullivan drawing a lead-off walk, swiping second and coming home to score on an RBI single from
Tysen Lipscomb.
The Thunder answered with two runs in the fourth and another in the sixth to take a 5-3 lead while Franklin's offense managed just two hits over a four-inning stretch. Things changed in the bottom of the eighth when a fielder's choice brought home two runs, with
AJ Sanders hustling home from second base on the play to tie the game at five.
A two-out error in the top of the ninth allowed the Thunder to re-take the lead and put the Griz down to their final three outs.
Anthony Smith roped a single to lead off the inning and pinch runner
Sean Thomas moved to second on an errant pick-off throw. Two straight fly outs brought
Jonathan LaGuire to the plate and he clubbed an double off the right field wall, scoring Thomas and sending the game to extras.
The Grizzlies loaded the bases in the bottom of the 10
th for
Matt Earley and sent the home crowd home happy with a sac fly to deep center field and the walk-off win.
Eight different Grizzlies recorded hits in the game with Sanders and Sullivan scoring two runs each.
Dylan Sprong struck out five over 3.2 innings as the games starter and
Maddox Manes (2-0) earned the win after working the final two innings in relief.
The two teams are back at McDowell Field on Monday (Mar. 20) for two games with the day's first pitch set for 2:00 p.m.
