For most of Saturday evening's game against Ripon, Franklin baseball appeared to be down and out.
With a lineup like this one, though, the Grizzlies are never completely out of it.
Noah Loveall's three-run homer capped a massive seventh inning that lifted the Grizzlies to a 10-8 comeback victory in the second of back-to-back games at Center Grove High School.
Franklin (4-2) started its day with a 12-6 afternoon win over North Central.
"We played three good teams and were fortunate to come out with three good wins," Grizzlies coach
Lance Marshall said.
Ripon held the Griz bats in check for most of the evening while scoring four runs in the third and seventh innings to take a seemingly insurmountable 8-1 lead. But in the bottom of the seventh, Franklin finally got to Red Hawks starter Brady Wotruba — and every arm that followed.
Following a leadoff double by Loveall,
Alex Billman was hit by a pitch and
Brady Bishop walked to load the bases.
Nic Deering pushed everyone up a base with an RBI single, and a walk to
Josh Girvan pushed in one more run before
Dyllan Redmon knocked in two with a double to left field. That chased Wotruba from the game, but
Davis Wagner followed with another two-run double to make it 8-7. Redman walked with one out to set the stage for Loveall, who put the finishing touches on a nine-run frame with a blast to center.
Wagner then came in from right field to throw two innings of shutdown relief, saving it for winning pitcher
Michael Carter.
"It was tough, but they fought through and found a way to win the game," Marshall said.
Against North Central, Franklin erupted for nine runs in the fifth and three more in the sixth to take over. Bishop had a two-run double and Wagner a three-run bomb during the fifth inning, and Wagner plated two more runs with a sixth-inning single. Starter
Luke Harmon got the win, pitching five shutout innings before the visitors finally got to him in the sixth.
Winners of four straight, the Grizzlies are slated to return to action Friday (March 6) with a home doubleheader against Carroll.