DUBOIS, Pa. (EYT) — A three-run fourth inning broke a 2-2 tie and helped District 10 Class 3A champion, Franklin, advance to the PIAA Semifinals for the first time in school history with a 6-3 victory over District 6 runner-up Philipsburg-Osceola in the PIAA Class 3A QUarterfinals at Showers Field in DuBois.

(Photo: Zachery Taylor leads off first during Thursday’s game. Taylor had two hits, a run scored and an RBI to help Franklin move into the PIAA semifinals for the first time in school history. Photo by Jared Bakaysa of JB Graphics. See more of Bakaysa’s work here)

“It means a lot to the community,” Franklin head coach Brian Schmidt said. “These guys have worked their tails off since day one. We win games like we did against Freeport (in the first round), we carried that into today and we just scraped out a win any way we could.”

Franklin opened up the scoring in the second inning on a double-steal play. Dale Kinch went to steal second at the same time Kaden Keely went to steal home. Kinch got the Mounties in a rundown situation while Keely snuck home to give the Knights a 1-0 lead.

“That’s a play we practice,” Schmidt said. “It’s just a fake. Fake getting picked off and get a rundown situation. It worked out the way we wanted it.”

Zach Taylor helped the Knights extend their lead in the third inning after Mountie pitcher, Bubba Slogosky, walked Ian Haynes with the bases loaded.

Down 2-0, the Mounties responded with a two-run third inning to tie the game with Nathan Gustkey and Keegan Soltis each scoring on an error from Franklin shortstop, Connor Rakow.

Carson Wible led the Knights offense going 2-for-4 including a double, triple, a pair of runs scored and an RBI. Wible was responsible for hitting a triple in the fourth inning, driving in courtesy runner, Kinch to give the Knights a 3-2 lead.

The Knights extended their lead to 5-2 in the fourth with Wible reaching home on a Tyus Wood single and Wood scoring off an Ian Haynes single that was due to part of an error from the Mounties first baseman.

Wible made it 6-2 in the fifth inning when he reached scored from second base off a bunt from Taylor.

Taylor finished the game going 2-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI for the Knights with Wood going 1-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI. Keely doubled and had a run scored while Rakow added a single.

P-O got their final run of the game when Landan McDonald’s single drove in Caleb Pellerite. The Mounties had the tying run at-bat but Matt Martin struck out swinging leaving Carson Jones on first and Jeremy Whitehead on second.

Soltis paced the Mounties offense going 2-for-3 with a run scored while McDonald had a pair of hits and an RBI. Jones, Trey Shaw and Isaiah Dixon each singled.

Kolton Banfi struck out two batters and gave up two runs on five hits to earn the win for Franklin. Rakow got the save finishing the game striking out three, two in the seventh, and allowing one earned run on two hits.

P-O used three different pitchers in the loss. Slogosky took the loss giving up three earned runs on three hits while striking out four in three innings on the mound. Jones pitched 1 ⅓ innings and gave up three runs, one earned on three hits while striking out one and walking one. Nick Coudreit threw the final 2 ⅔ innings and had two strikeouts while allowing one hit.

FRANKLIN 6, PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA 3

Score by Innings

Franklin 011 310 0 — 6
P-O 002 001 0 — 3

FRANKLIN — 6

Zachery Taylor lf 5121, Tyus Wood 2b 4111, Connor Rakow ss/p 3010, Bubba Rhoades 1b 2000, Kaden Keely cf 3110, Ian Haynes 3b 3001, Marc Knox dh 4000, Cole Harmon c 0000, Kolton Banfi p/ss 2000, Dale Kinch cr 0100, Carson Wible rf 4221. Totals 30-6-7-4.

PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA — 3

Ryan Kephart ss 4000, Nathan Gustkey 1b 2100, Ryan Whitehead 1b 1000, Keegan Soltis 3b 3120, Trey Shaw c 4010, Caleb Pellerite cr 0100, Isaiah Dixon dh 3010, Bibba Slogosky p 0000, Nick Coudrier p/rf 0000, Landon McDonald 2b 3021, Jeremy Whitehead lf 3000, Carson Jones rf/p 2010, Micah Martin cf 3000. Totals 28-3-7-1.

LOB: Franklin 10. P-O 7. Errors: Franklin 1. P-O 3. 2B: Keely, Wible. 3B; Wible. SAC: Wood. SB: Keely, Knich, Wood. Jones. HBP: Banfi, Rhoads.

PITCHING

Franklin

Kolton Banfi 4 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Connor Rakow 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
Totals: 7 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K

Philipsburg-Osceola

Bubba Slogosky 3 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 4 K, 1 HBP
Carson Jones 1 ⅓ IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HBP
Nick Coudriet 2 ⅔ IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 0 HBP
Totals: 7 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 5 BB, 7 K, 2 HBP

Winning pitcher: Kolton Banfi
Losing pitcher: Bubba Slogosky
Save: Connor Rakow