Having played its best pitching hand on Friday to get a pair of much-needed HCAC victories against Rose-Hulman, Franklin baseball knew it was facing an uphill climb Sunday at a Transylvania team receiving votes in the national polls.

The Grizzlies fell short by scores of 11-1 and 21-11.

Franklin (17-16, 6-10) got its lone run of the first game in the top of the third inning, when Josh Girvan singled to bring Noah Loveall home and make it a 1-1 game. The Pioneers, though, answered with five runs in their half of the frame and later added four more in the sixth to put it away.

The Grizzlies managed just five hits off Transy hurler Drew Bowles, who struck out 12; Zander Cobb had two of those hits.

Game two, though, brought a lot more Griz offense.

Girvan again produced the first run in the first inning when he walked, stole second and third and then scored when the catcher's throw to third missed the mark. The Grizzlies then took a 3-1 lead in the second inning on an RBI groundout by Cobb and a run-scoring single by Loveall. 

The Pioneers countered with eight runs in the bottom of the third before Franklin plated four in the fourth. Alex Billman drove in one run with a groundout, Girvan singled to score two and came home himself on a Drew Helton double.

Cobb scored on a double steal and throwing error in the fifth to cut it to 9-8, but Transylvania scored six in the bottom of that inning and Franklin was unable to get closer.

Davis Wagner had an RBI single in the sixth inning, one of his four hits in the nightcap.

Franklin plays its final HCAC road series this weekend, a three-game set at Berea.