It started out pretty well for the Franklin Knights Thursday. Their tall sophomore Zachary Boland was on the mound and despite giving up a lead off walk he struck out two and got a grounder out on a hit and run play.
The Knights were facing the Punxsutawney Chucks in the state quarterfinals at Slippery Rock University.
Boland pitched four solid innings, only giving up one run in the second.
When he left the game Franklin was up 2-1 on a first inning RBI single by Noah Kockler scoring Caleb Doyle and fourth inning bases loaded shot by Doyle that scored Kyle Alexander. Drew Kockler was also sent home on the play by coach Brian Schmidt but was picked off at the plate to end the inning.
The Knights were facing the Punxsutawney Chucks in the state quarterfinals at Slippery Rock University.
Boland pitched four solid innings, only giving up one run in the second.
When he left the game Franklin was up 2-1 on a first inning RBI single by Noah Kockler scoring Caleb Doyle and fourth inning bases loaded shot by Doyle that scored Kyle Alexander. Drew Kockler was also sent home on the play by coach Brian Schmidt but was picked off at the plate to end the inning.
Kyle Alexander came into pitch in the fifth and looked solid striking out two and only giving up one single before retiring the side with a routine fly ball to center
Franklin's fifth started with walks to Carson Wible and Noah Kockler. They advanced on a wild pitch. Then Kyle Alexander doubled scoring both and putting the Knights up 4-1.
Franklin's fifth started with walks to Carson Wible and Noah Kockler. They advanced on a wild pitch. Then Kyle Alexander doubled scoring both and putting the Knights up 4-1.
Alexander’s sixth inning on the mound didn’t quite go as smooth as the fifth. Two hard shots down the third base line resulted in a double and a single that scored a run. A couple batters later the bases were full and Schmidt pulled Alexander for Ethen Nightingale. A grounder to short seemed routine to get a force at second but the ball was babbled and everyone was safe and one more run was scored. Nightingale got out of the inning with the Knights still up a run 4-3.
In the top of the seventh Punxsutawney got a single on a tough play for shortstop Luke Guth to handle and the runner beat out the throw. Then a hard single to left put two on. Nightingale then got the next two batters to fly out, but one runner advanced to third on the second fly ball.
Then a slow infield bouncer was fielded cleanly by Guth but the runner was able to beat the throw to first and the runner on third scored to tie the game. The next batter got a hold of one and sent it over the centerfielder’s head to score two on a double and take the lead for the first time in the game.
Franklin, in the bottom of the seventh started well with a double by Carson Wible but the next three batters weren’t able to get him across the plate.
Franklin, in the bottom of the seventh started well with a double by Carson Wible but the next three batters weren’t able to get him across the plate.
Franklin’s season comes to an end with a 15-8 record.
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