Weather stymies baseball's regular season finale

Franklin County’s varsity baseball team had to wait until Tuesday for an outcome to its regular season and district diamond finale against Wesson Attendance Center as last Friday’s contest at The Swap was ultimately rained out.

The visiting Cobras held a 4-0 advantage in the top of the fourth when thunderstorms prompted game officials to send players to their respective dugouts and then heavy downpours soaked the playing surface making it impossible for the contest to continue.

As the wrap-up to the delayed game was played after press deadline, results are not included in our print edition, but can be found on our website at www.franklinadvocate.com.

FC 7, WESSON 4

On Tuesday, April 12, FC traveled to Copiah County and claimed a 7-2 district win over the Cobras with the Bulldogs pounding out 10 hits and drawing six walks en route to the victory.

Larry Pernell had the hot bat for the Dawgs with a 3-for-4 effort that included a double, two runs scored and two RBIs while Dakota Chisholm went 2-for-4 with a double, three RBIs and a strikeout.

In addition where hitting was concerned, Dalton Meadows was 2-for-5 with a run; Terrance Fields was 1-for-2 with a run; Donavon Moore was 1-of-3 with a run and two walks; and Quez Rancifer was 1-for-4 with a double, two runs, an RBI and a strikeout.

FC got things started in the top of the second when Rancifer reached on an error and scored on a ground ball single by Pernell for a 1-0 lead.

To start the third, Meadows stroked a one-out single and was able to score on a two-out, follow-up double to left by Rancifer.

Fields then reached after being hit by a pitch before Pernell came on and doubled to right – a shot that plated Rancifer for a 3-0 lead.

Then a timely double by Chisholm brought both Rancifer and Pernell home before the side was retired.

After being held scoreless for the first three frames, Wesson plated a run in the bottom of the fourth to cut Franklin’s lead to 5-1.

In the top of the fifth, Rancifer reached on a dropped third strike, but was taken out en route to second base by the Cobras’ defense on a single shot by Fields and Pernell followed with a single of his own.

Fields advanced to third on a Wesson error and was caught stealing home for the Bulldogs’ second out in the frame. Pernell, who worked his way into scoring position on a steal, came home for FC’s sixth run thanks to a single by Chisholm.

Wesson scored again in the bottom of the fifth to make it a 6-2 game.

Moore drew a lead-off walk in the top of the sixth and advanced to second on a sacrifice by Ridge Clanton. Meadows then reached on an error and stole second before Rancifer also reached on an error.

The second error gave Moore a green light to come home for a seventh Bulldogs’ run and proved to be the final score of the game for FC.

Jamari Tolliver, who was 0-for-3, had a walk in the game for Franklin County.

The Bulldogs, who stranded 10 baserunners, had seven stolen bases in the affair with Pernell, Meadows and JaMarlin Green, who was courtesy runner for Chisholm, collecting two each and Moore adding one.

In terms of pitching, Meadows got the win with six-and-a-third innings worked and 110 pitches thrown. During his tenure on the mound, Meadows struck out five and walked three, while giving up six hits and two runs (one of which was earned).

Meadows’ total pitch-to-strike ratio was 65.5 percent.

Tolliver threw two-thirds of an inning in relief and issued only five pitches — with two of those being strikes — to close out the contest.

WESSON 4, FC 0 (INCOMPLETE)

Before the skies opened up in Friday’s contest between FC and Wesson, the Bulldogs spotted the Cobras four runs — three in the first inning and one in the second — on three hits and a pair of walks.

Franklin was limited in the rain-shortened outing to only one hit, which was a single by Clanton, and the team had committed two errors.

Tolliver started the game on the mound for FC and gave up four runs (one earned) on three hits while striking out one and walking two in one-and-a-third innings of work.

His pitch-to-strike ratio was 52.5 percent with 40 pitches thrown.

Clanton came in for two innings and struck out two before severe thunderstorms stopped the game in the top of the fourth.