Split Decision: Rocky Grove Returning to D10 Title Game; Franklin Has Heartbroken

| May 25, 2018


SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. (EYT) –It was a split decision for Franklin area high school baseball teams on Thursday with Rocky Grove returning to a District 10 title game in baseball for a third straight year but Franklin having its heartbroken giving up a seventh-inning lead.

(Photo of Rocky Grove celebrating after its win. Photo by Ed Baumcratz)

Rocky Grove, the defending District 10 Class 2A champion, beat Mercer, 6-3, in the semifinal game at Critchfield Park in Slippery Rock and will face Union City in the District 10 championship game Monday at a site to be announced. The Orioles also won the D10 Class 1A title in 2016.

In the next game at Critchfield, Franklin led 6-5 over Greenville going to the bottom of the seventh but dropped a 7-6 decision in the semifinals. Greenville will take on Mercyhurst Prep in the championship game Monday.

ROCKY GROVE 6, MERCER 3

Rocky Grove scored three runs in the first inning against Mercer and never looked back.

Justin Heller led off with a single and scored on a Travis Perry triple. Hunter Bruner then drove home Perry with an RBI groundout and Conner Curran smashed a home run to make it 3-0.

After Mercer got a run back in the top of the fourth, Rocky Grove added on in the bottom of the inning with two more runs.

Doubles by Scott Perry, Tyler Clayton and Tyler Knupp accounted for the runs.

Rocky Grove then made it 6-1 in the fifth when Scott Perry walked and Clayton reached on a two-base error.

That was more than enough for Perry who went six innings allowing two runs on four hits and three walks while striking out seven. Knupp then came in and allowed a run on three hits in the seventh.

Curran led the Orioles going 2-for-4 with the home run. Clayton was 1-for-2 with a run scored and an RBI.

Daniel Scheidhauer took the loss going 3 2/3 innings allowing five runs on eight hits and a walk while striking out five.

Jordan Baker was 2-for-4 for Mercer while Adama Walker was 2-for-3 with a run scored.

GREENVILLE 7, FRANKLIN 6

Jamin Wentling’s single to center with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning lifted Greenville to the come-from-behind 7-6 win over Franklin.

The Knights led 6-5 going to the bottom of the seventh before Greenville had runners on first and third with two outs.

Kolton Banfi was called upon to shut the door, but Banfi walked Trap Wentling to load the bases. Jon King then beat out an infield single to tie the game, and Wentling took the first pitch he saw right back up the middle for the game-winning hit.

Franklin grabbed a 3-0 lead in the top of the first but Greenville got two runs back off Franklin starter Conner Rakow in the bottom of the inning.

The Knights then went back up by three, 5-2, only to see Greenville cut into the lead making it 5-4. The Knights then scored a run in the sixth to make it 6-4, but Greenville answered again with a run in the bottom of the sixth to set the stage for the seventh, when some luck, including a bad-hop single and a bloop single helped Greenville take the win.

Losing pitcher Brendon Gordon scored three times for Franklin, while Conner Rakow was 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Gordon pitched well in relief of Rakow going 4 2/3 innings allowing five runs, three earned, on five hits and three walks while striking out four. Rakow pitched two innings allowing two runs, one earned, on two hits and three walks.


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