FARMINGTON — Franklin County was poised to collect its second victory of the season, but walks and some miscues opened the door for Augusta to sneak away with 5-4 victory in an American Legion baseball game Monday night.
“We get hurt a lot when we walk a lot of people,” Franklin County coach Kyle Gunzinger said. “I am guessing if I look at the box score, three of their runs were off walks.
“They did drive them in, but if you don’t put them on base…
“It was excellent baseball game and we will go again tomorrow.”
Rogers Post hosts Franklin County in a doubleheader Tuesday in Auburn.
Franklin was leading 4-2 and its defense was holding up against a patient Augusta team well into the the sixth inning.
But Augusta put together a three-run uprising in the sixth, and it all started with pinch hitter Jay Lauter’s walk. He eventually moved to third base on Dean Jackman’s fielder’s choice. Lauter came home on Jackson Ladd’s RBI double. Jackman and Ladd were holed up at second third and scored on Ryan Kappelmann’s single to give Augusta the 5-4 lead.
Franklin County was cruising with starting pitcher Hunter Bolduc on the mound and its defense was holding the high ground.
In the second inning, Franklin rolled up four runs after Austin Gilboe got on due to an error. Logan Moffett, who went 3-for-4 for the evening, singled, and Nick Lombardi got hit to load the bases. Corey Rogers’ single brought home Gilboe and Moffett, and Lombardi scored on a catcher’s throwing error. Bo Beaulieu smacked an RBI single, scoring Rogers.
Augusta bounced right back with two runs in the top of third inning.
Jackman started processions with a single, moved to second on a passed ball and scored on Ladd’s RBI single. Jackson also scored, on a fielder’s choice.
Franklin couldn’t put another run across and Bolduc left game in the fourth inning with an elbow injury. Isaac Cardona came in and went the rest of the way.
In the bottom of the seventh, Franklin County was this close to tying it and perhaps winning the game with runners at second and third with two outs, but winning pitcher Daniel White was taken out for the last out.
“We came out flat. We weren’t focused,” Augusta coach Taylor Lockhart said. “I like this team. They grind out wins. They come out fighting. The character of this team is unbelievable.”
Jackman replaced White and ended Moffett’s hitting streak at the plate with a strikeout.
“He’s big,” Lockhart said. “He is our ace at Hall-Dale. He is usually a starter but I use him as my closer, and I like it in one-run games. He usually comes in and shuts them down.
Franklin County pitcher Hunter Bolduc fires off a pitch against Augusta in an American Legion baseball game at Hippach Field in Farmington on Monday night.Franklin’s County’s Austin Gilboe gets safely back to the bag as Augusta first baseman Cole Lockhart waits for the ball in an American Legion baseball game at Hippach Field in Farmington on Monday night.
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