The Franklin County Lions advanced to the state baseball playoff quarterfinals with a dominant sweep of Sonoraville Wednesday at FCHS. The Lions will now host the Long County Blue Tide Monday for a best-of-three series beginning with a doubleheader Monday beginning at 4 p.m. in Carnesville. A third game, if necessary, will be Tuesday at 4 p.m.
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The Franklin County Lions celebrate after defeating Sonoraville Wednesday to advance to the state playoff quarterfinals.
By Shane Scoggins
Publisher
The Franklin County Lions advanced to the state baseball playoff quarterfinals with a dominant sweep of Sonoraville Wednesday at FCHS.
The Lions will now host the Long County Blue Tide Monday for a best-of-three series beginning with a doubleheader Monday beginning at 4 p.m. in Carnesville. A third game, if necessary, will be Tuesday at 4 p.m.
Long defeated Pike County 10-2 and 6-5 to advance to the quarterfinals. They are the No. 3 team from Region 1AAA, which has its top three teams – Pierce County, Appling County and Long County – all in the state’s Elite Eight.
Franklin advanced with 10-0 and 12-2 wins over Sonoraville Wednesday.
The games were not close as the Lions hit well, including for power, allowed just five hits and two runs over two games and played strong defense.
Franklin got home runs from Lawson Gailey, Dee Oliver and C.J. Blackwell in the doubleheader. The team had only hit five home runs all year before hitting three in the two-game series.
Gailey was dominant on the mound in game one.
The junior allowed just one hit and no runs, while walking just one batter, in six innings. He struck out seven. He threw just 77 pitches in the six innings.
He also sparked the offense by hitting a home run off the scoreboard in leftfield on the first-pitch of his first at-bat in the first inning.
That helped Franklin to five runs in the first inning. The Lions added single runs in the second and third innings and put the game away early with three runs in the sixth to invoke the run-rule and end the game in six innings.
Oliver and A.J. Peeples each had three hits in the game.
J.D. Ginn drove in two runs, while Oliver and Chandler Coulter each scored a pair of runs.
Oliver sparked the offense in game two with a leadoff home run, his first in high school competition.
Three batters later, Blackwell added a three-run home run.
Franklin led 4-0 after the first inning, added five runs in the third, two in the fifth and one in the seventh.
Sonoraville, down 11-0, scored twice in the fifth to keep the game alive.
Oliver finished with three hits and two runs scored.
Gailey also had three hits, driving in three.
Garett Garner had a pair of hits as well.
Blackwell drove in three and scored twice.
Kayne Jinks got the pitching victory, allowing just three hits, two walks and two earned runs in five innings. He struck out nine.
Miles Dodd pitched two scoreless innings of relief, allowing just one hit and striking out three.
Lion Coach David Skelly said that the team drilled more on hitting prior to the Sonoraville series.
It showed in the team getting ahead early.
“They were ready to play,” he said of his team.
Early leads helped the pitchers, who threw strikes, Skelly said.
The coach said he was pleased with how his team’s defense improved from its first-round series with Westminster.
The victories brought Franklin County's school-record win total to 31-3.
The quarterfinal round will bring Long County to town.
The Blue Tide have a 17-12 record on the year but have posted some impressive victories.
In addition to playoff sweeps over Morgan County and Pike County, Long defeated No. 1-ranked Pierce County in one of their three region games and have a victory over Class AA No. 1 Vidalia this season.
In the Pike County series, the Blue Tide were led by senior Noah Kuhanek.
Kuhanek went four-for-five in the series with seven RBIS and a home run. He also got the victory in the series opener, allowing five hits and two earned runs while striking out three in seven innings.
Junior Jacob Struble and senior Ethan Wells also had strong series for Long against Pike.
The winner of the Franklin/Long series will play either Appling County or Cherokee Bluff in the state semifinals beginning May 15. Franklin would host the series.