Keeping their heads up, Franklin all-stars come from behind to win title

6/25/2024

"Who wants to make a play?" coach Jeff Steigerwald asked his Franklin 9-10 players as they faced a 5-3 deficit against Butler.

Answering that call in the final inning was his confident and quick witted son Phillip and the quiet and humble Gavin Matthews.

Franklin got a little help getting things going with Butler's pitcher struggling to find the strike zone Two walks and a fielder's choice put two runner in scoring position with one of the Franklin's best hitters coming to the plate. Butler chose to intentionally walk Torin Schmidt to load the bases.

This cost them as the pitcher's struggles continued and the walk in Franklin's fourth run. And the bases were still loaded. A strike out next gave them two outs.

With Phillip Steigerwald on third, Schmidt on second and Liam Riley on first they needed something to happen. When a ball got passed the catcher, Phillip Steigerwald hesitated but then went for it scoring the tying run. "It couldn't have worked out better with the passed ball," Phillip said. "It's a tie game, It's two outs, two strikes, I don't care (I'm going.)

The gutsy base running gave everyone dressed in red a little breather as the score was now tied. With two strikes on him, Matthews got a hold of one dropping it between the shortstop and the left fielder bringing home the winning run. The man of few words, Matthews simply said he felt "great" adding after a little prodding "and happy." When he was handed the ball that he hit to win the game he had only a hint of a smile. Someone in the crowd yelled out to him that "it's ok to be happy."

"We had the heart of our lineup, we couldn't be in a better position, coach Steigerwald said. "They did what they had to do. They took pitches, they got on base to get the runners we needed."

The road to that celebration wasn't an easy one. The dropped a 2-0 game to start the tournament sending them to the losers bracket for the long climb back. They then handled Oil City/Cranberry before dismantling Titusville in an 18-1 blowout which gave them another crack at Clarion. Like the first meeting it was a pitcher's duel with Franklin edging Clarion 2-1.

"After we lost that first game I said we're going to have to play with a chip on our shoulder," said head coach Jeff Steigerwald. "We've really come together as a team and every game its someone different (who steps up.). From the top of the lineup to the bottom, someone is contributing."

Battling back to the championship game, they would now still have to beat Butler twice.

The first game Monday night was no contest as Franklin came out smoking hot cruising to a 14-2, four inning win setting up Tuesday's showdown for all the marbles.

Butler jumped out scoring one in the top of the first, but Franklin answered right back when Liam Richter walked and proceed to steal second, then third. Phillip Steigerwald, the coaches son got an RBI single. Teague Latshaw drilled a line drive past everyone to the left center fence for a double. Steigerwald to third. Schmidt then shaved the third base line for a double scoring two.

That would be it for scoring for Franklin until the final inning.

Defensively the usually sure handed fielders began to struggle a little. A dropped pop up with two outs and the chaos that followed with throwing errors tied the game.

If it wasn't for a heads up play by left fielder Cam Adams who rushed in to cover third base to get the final out as the Butler runner tried to get an extra base in the melee, it could've been much worse.

Butler again added another couple runs on a fielding error and a couple good hits.

Franklin tried to get something going in the fifth but when a runner left early on a steal attemp,t he was sent back to second and they weren't able to bring him around.

But all they needed was a strong sixth and their long journey back from the loser's basket was complete with their second straight win over Butler 6-5.

"Did we have hiccups? Yes we did, Can we overcome those? Absolutely. Everyone did their job tonight," said assistant coach Shawn Latchaw to the team huddled after the game.

Remembering that these are 9 and 10 year old kids is an important part of coaching little league. "We do battle emotions quite a bit with kids on the team, " coach Steigerwald said.

"That's what we're trying to teach them. We don't know when the next opportunity is going to come and we have to have our heads up ready for it. That's what we're trying to get instilled in them, not only with baseball, but in life, because your'e going to get kicked in the shins in life and you've got to pick your head up and get to the next one."

The Steigerwald's know better than anyone about being ready for opportunity and battling back from the brink. Phillip was diagnosed with a pretty aggressive cancer about six years ago but is cancer free now. He was the winning pitcher and scored the ting run tonight.

"I got a little different perspective than most people," coach Steigerwald said knowing he is blessed to be able to coach his son in this championship run.

"I'm just proud of the kids, because they battled from day one to get here," Coach Steigerwald said with his son Phillip listening in. "Our head coach wasn't that good though," Phillip said joking around with his dad.