After Franklin sophomore Max Clark hit a solo bomb to get his team back within a run at 3-2 on Friday evening, Center Grove coach Keith Hatfield could feel the momentum shifting away from his team.
The Class 4A No. 3 Trojans wasted little time in getting it back, scoring three runs in the top of the sixth to steer their way to a 6-2 road win.
"It was a big answer for us," Hatfield said. "I think that inning really controlled the game for us."
Matthew Sauter opened up the pivotal sixth with a base hit and moved to third on a double by Collin Taylor. After a Noah Coy sacrifice fly brought in Sauter, Mitchell Evans came through with a single — and Taylor was awarded home plate after an interference call at third base.Â
Sam Griffith singled to put runners at the corners for Garrison Barile, who accounted for the final run with an RBI fielder’s choice that scored Evans.
Franklin (17-7) tried to stage a rally against reliever Zach Ferguson in the bottom of the seventh, loading the bases on singles by Brodie Rinehold and Max Clark and a two-out walk to Grant Roberts. Ferguson, though, put out the flames by striking out Nolan Netter to end it.
After Trojan starter Caden Cornett traded zeroes with Grizzly Cub hurler Jackson Henry through the first three innings, Center Grove (21-3) took a 2-0 lead in the fourth. A bases-loaded walk to Sauter pushed Owen Guilfoy across, and then Caden Curry scored on a sac fly from Taylor.
Henry got Franklin back within one when he doubled to bring Netter home in the bottom of the inning, but the Trojans rebuilt the two-run advantage when Evans scored on an error in the top of the fifth.
Clark’s home run, his sixth of the season, provided a lift to the sizeable Grizzly Cub crowd, but Center Grove was able to get back on course with that three-run sixth.
The teams began the evening by completing the county tournament championship game that was cut short by rain last month. Center Grove needed just a few minutes to finish off a 12-2 victory in that game, reclaiming the title for the first time since 2016.
Center Grove came into the day holding an 11-1 lead through three innings and tacked on another run in the fourth on an RBI groundout by Sam Griffith. Franklin got a one-out solo homer from Beau Baker in the bottom of the fifth but couldn’t score again to extend the game against Trojan reliever Charlie Bemis.
Hatfield lamented the fact that the tourney game played out as it did with a five-week intermission.
"(Franklin) didn’t have their normal energy," he said. "We have kind of fake energy. … I wish we could have played it straight up on a day and not just two innings finishing that, because they’re a good team. They’re going to make us better when we play them."
The two county rivals could see one another a fourth time in the sectional later this month — and while Center Grove has taken all three meetings between the teams this spring, Franklin coach Ryan Feyerabend certainly wouldn’t shy away from another one.
"We love it," he said. "I’d play them every Friday night if we could. Great crowd, great environment … just a few minor mistakes that we usually don’t make that cost us."
