FRANKLIN – The Franklin baseball team fell short in their bid for a weekend sweep of Rose-Hulman, dropping a 15-7 matchup to the Engineers on Sunday (Apr. 23) afternoon at McDowell Field.
 
The Grizzlies (24-8, 12-2 HCAC) were doomed by a disastrous final three innings, with the Engineers (17-14, 9-5 HCAC) pulling away late to stave off the sweep.
 
Franklin claimed the early lead thanks to a solo home from Sean Sullivan in the first but the lead didn't last long as the Engineers plated four runs in the top of the second. Colby Reed brought home a run with a single in the second but two more Rose runs followed in the third to stretch their lead to 6-2.
 
Jonathan LaGuire-Cruz continued his torment of opposing pitching with a two-out, three-run home run in the third to cut the Rose lead to one. LaGuire swatted a solo dinger in the fifth to give him 10 home runs in the last two weeks' worth of games and Tysen Lipscomb tied the game at 7-7 in the sixth with a bases loaded walk.
 
But the Engineers cashed in on Franklin's bullpen for two runs in the seventh and six in the eighth inning to put the game away.
 
LaGuire-Cruz went 2-for-5 with four RBI and three runs scored to go with his two long balls. AJ Sanders, Sullivan and Reed all had two hits each.
 
Franklin is off until next Saturday (Apr. 29) when they host two big games with the Bluffton Beavers at McDowell Field. First pitch is set for noon.