GREENWOOD, Ind. – The Franklin baseball team opened a three-game weekend series with the Albion Britons on Saturday (Mar. 9), playing a pair of games at Center Grove HS.
 
The Grizzlies (5-3) dropped game one but responded in a big way to split the double-header, hammering the Britons (6-4) in game two, 15-3.
 
Game One: Albion 7 – Franklin 4
Down 3-0 early, the Grizzlies got back to even with one swing of the bat from junior Andrew Wallace, as he crushed a two-out, three-run home run in the second to tie the game. But the Grizzlies would leave a runner in scoring position to close the next three innings and recorded just four hits over the final seven frames.
 
Sean Sullivan belted a solo home run in the eighth to cut Albion's lead to 5-4, but the Britons added a pair of insurance runs in the ninth.
 
Adam Taylor was the lone Grizzly to record multiple hits, going 2-for-3. Matthew Johnson got the start and struck out six over five innings. Luke Harmon (2-1) took the decision after scattering five hits over the final four frames.
 
Game Two: Franklin 15 – Albion 3 (7 inn.)
Holding a 3-2 lead going into the bottom of the sixth, Franklin's offense tore into Briton pitching over the final two frames with six runs in both the sixth and seventh frames. Sullivan, Taylor and Dyllan Redmon all drove in runs with singles in the sixth and Sullivan brought the game to a close in the seventh with a grand slam.
 
Sullivan had a huge second game at the plate, going 4-for-4 with three runs scored and a career-high seven RBI. Colby Reed scored three times while Redmon, Tysen Lipscomb, Wallace and Garrett DeHart all scored twice. Riddick Bolton had two hits in his first start of the year.
 
Jackson Young (1-1) went the distance on the mound, striking out six batters.
 
Up Next
The two teams will meet again on Sunday (Mar. 10) afternoon for the rubber match at Center Grove HS. The first pitch is set for 1:00 p.m.