FRANKLIN – The Franklin College baseball team made their 2025 debut at John P. McDowell Field on Friday (Mar. 7) afternoon.
 
The Grizzlies (3-2) held on to win a thriller, holding off a late-game rally from the Flying Dutch (0-6) to take game one of the three-game series by a 7-5 score.
 
How it Happened
Hope took the lead two batters into the game but failed to capitalize on loading the bases with one out as Matthew Johnson fanned two to end the inning and keep it a 1-0 game. Franklin took their first lead of the day in the third when Luke Willmann clubbed a two-run home run that just staying inside the left field foul pole.
 
The Grizzlies added a third run in the fourth on a sac fly from Josh Girvan but Hope got that run back in the fifth to get the lead back down to a run. Franklin was made to pay for leaving the bases loaded in both the fifth and sixth innings and Hope took the lead back with two in the top of the seventh.
 
Franklin countered in the bottom of the inning, getting an RBI ground out from Colin Goley, an RBI double from Girvan and a run-scoring single from Dyllan Redmon to make it a 6-4 game. Ian Nuckles added an insurance run with a sac fly in the eighth and the Grizzlies closed it out in the ninth with a game-ending double play with the tying run at the plate.
 
Inside the Book
-Redmon went 3-for-5 at the plate to pace the offense while Willmann went 2-for-2 and reached base all four times he came to the dish.
-Matthew Johnson got the start and struck out six batters over five innings.
-Michael Carter punched out three batters in 1.1 innings of relief.
-Will Butts (1-0) earned the win after retiring both batters he faced in the seventh.
-Mason Campbell nailed down his second save of the year, working the final two innings in relief.
 
Up Next
The two teams finish their three-game set with two more games on Saturday (Mar. 8) afternoon. First pitch of game one is set for noon.