FRANKLIN, Ind. (May 6) – Junior shortstop Nick Stoia drew a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the 10th inning to lift Franklin College to a 9-8 victory over Heartland Conference baseball rival Anderson at McDowell Field this afternoon.
Stoia's base on balls for the go-ahead score came after Grizzlies sophomore center fielder Scott Windler singled off the pitching hand of Raven reliever Tyler Watson with two outs and the bases full to tie the contest after Anderson went up 8-7 in the top of the 10th.
With the comeback victory, Franklin finished in second place in the HCAC standings at 18-7 and improved to 30-9 overall. Anderson wound up third in the conference race at 17-8 in the HCAC and went to 25-15 in all games.
The same two teams will meet in Thursday's opening round of 2012 HCAC Championship Tournament, which will be played at league regular season champion Rose-Hulman. Franklin is the No. 2 seed and Anderson is the No. 3 seed. Game time to be announced.
After the Ravens went up 1-0 in their first at-bat, the Grizzlies scored twice in the first inning on a run-scoring double by Stoia and a bases-loaded walk to junior designated hitter Jake Houston.
Anderson tallied two runs in the fifth to go up by a run before FC answered with five runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 7-3 lead. Junior catcher Jesse Wilson singled in a run, Houston drove in a run with a base hit, junior first baseman Zach Osowski brought in two runs with a double and freshman right fielder Jameson Brock had a RBI single.
But the Ravens fought back the next inning, tying the ballgame at 7-7 on a three-run triple off the bat of second baseman Kyle Beckman and a run-scoring single by outfielder Zach Garcia.
Anderson went up 8-7 in the 10th when pinch-hitter Drew Brantley singled in a run before the Grizzlies won it in the bottom of the extra frame.
FC sophomore pitcher Taylor Glaze, who came into game in he 10th as the Grizzlies' fourth pitcher of the day, earned the win in his first decision of the season. Watson (2-2) took the loss despite striking out eight straight batters during his three innings of relief work.