Franklin baseball is still hoping it can take flight before this season ends — and it bought itself some much-needed runway on Saturday.
The Grizzlies started its weekend series at Berea with a pair of lopsided victories, coming away with wins by scores of 14-5 and 13-2. Those wins put the team back into the top six of the HCAC standings with an 8-10 league record; Franklin is 19-16 overall.
Game one saw Franklin set things off in the opener with five runs in the first inning.
Dyllan Redmon drove in a pair of runs with a base hit and later scored on a
Drew Helton double.
Ian Nuckles then singled in a run and scored from third when a
Zander Cobb stolen base behind him drew a throw.
The Griz scored five more runs in the second to go up 10-0, with Helton and Nuckles each doubling in a pair of runs; Helton scored on a wild pitch.
Redmon, Helton and Nuckles each had three RBIs in game one to support winning pitcher
Chase Wagner, who allowed five hits and two earned runs across five innings, fanning four Berea hitters.
The nightcap was equally comfortable for the Grizzlies, who scored single runs on errors in the first two innings and then got an RBI triple from
Noah Loveall and a run-scoring single from
Alex Billman in the fifth before blowing the game open with a seven-run sixth.
Davis Wagner got the big inning started with a two-run double before Cobb, Loveall and
Nic Deering all followed with RBI singles.
Davis Wagner also had an RBI double in the seventh to help ice it.
Caden Wilburn got the W on the mound for Franklin, limiting the Mountaineers to two runs on six hits over his five innings. The lefty struck out six.
The Grizzlies will try to finish off a series sweep on Sunday afternoon at noon.
