Franklin (Ind.) sweeps ONU Baseball 5-1 and 6-3

FRANKLIN, IND. — Franklin (Ind.) completed a four-game weekend sweep of the Ohio Northern baseball team by winning a pair of games, 5-1 and 6-3, at John P. McDowell Field Sunday afternoon.

The Grizzlies improve to 7-5 on the season with the two wins and the Polar Bears drop to 4-7.

In game one, ONU freshman Chris Sobieray walked to lead off the game and later scored on sophomore Brett Katana's RBI single to stake Northern to an early 1-0 lead.

But that was all ONU could muster in game one as Franklin starter Jared Applegate (1-1) struck out 10 in the complete-game victory.

Northern's Brian Hill (0-2) also went a complete game, allowing five runs on six hits and striking out three.

Franklin scored a pair of runs in the second inning and strung together three-straight singles in the third to score two more and open up a 4-1 lead.

The Grizzlies would tack on an unearned insurance run in fifth for the final tally. Game two was a pitchers dual for the first six innings as neither ONU starter Drew Robinson or Franklin starter Trent Dahlstrom allowed a run over the first six innings.

ONU broke the scoreless tie in the top of the seventh as sophomore Loren Fleischman led off with a double and scored on Katana's single to put ONU ahead 1-0.

Robinson pitched a scoreless seventh, but ran into trouble in the eighth as the first six Grizzlies reached base safely on three doubles, two singles and a walk.

All six would eventually score to give Franklin a 6-1 lead through eight.

Northern added two unearned runs in the top of the ninth but Franklin's Joe Paul came in and shut the door to pick up his first save of the season.

Robinson falls to 0-3 on the season as Franklin reliever Matt Nees claims his first victory of the year.

Offensively, Katana was 2-for-7 on the day with a pair of runs batted in.

Fleischman was 2-for-6 with a run scored.

For the Grizzlies, Lance Noel and Derek Smith each had three hits on day.

The Polar Bears will return to action this Wednesday as they travel to Manchester (Ind.) for a 1 pm double header in North Manchester, Ind.