As heard on WRBI Monday, Connersville claimed the 3A-29 Baseball Sectional in Rushville with an 8-inning, 7-6 win over Franklin County.
After the Spartans Brayden Lykins plated Chance Bentley on a first inning, 2-out double, the Wildcats took a 2-1 lead in the home first when Chase Burton drove in Brant Ertel and Adam Daugherty on a 2-RBI single to center.
FC went up 3-1 in the third on a Zander Rodriguez single to left center that scored Hunter Geis.
CHS tied the game 3-3 with a run in the fourth and fifth. A Gavin Jones infield groundout was good enough to score Lykins during inning four. A frame later, Braxton Myers doubled to left center scoring Gavin Pearson.
The Brookville boys got back up a run, 4-3, in the home fifth when Ertel scored on a fielder’s choice RBI by Burton.
The lead flipped back in favor of the Fayette County crew in the sixth. Gavin Linch scored on a single and outfield error on a ball struck by Brayden Pearson. Brayden Pearson was then plated by Gavin Pearson on a double to right center. It was 5-4.
But the Wildcats got back on the high side of the scoreboard during their turn at the plate in the sixth. Rodriguez touched home on a sac fly by Daugherty, then Trevor Moizuk crossed the dish when teammate Kristian Prows was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
Down 6-5 and needing a run to extend the game, Connersville found it in the seventh. With two outs, Brady Cloyd singled to left. One batter later, Lynch singled to the outfield and the ball was misplayed allowing Cloyd to run home for the game-tying run.
Now 7-7 in the eighth, Connersville scored what proved to be the game winning run. Chanler Fox was hit by a pitch, Gavin Pearson walked and Myers hit an infield single to load the bases. Bentley worked a walk which forced home Fox from third base.
Franklin County loaded the bases in the home eighth, but the tying and winning runs were left stranded when Bentley struck out the final batter to preserve the 8-7 sectional championship for the Spartans.
Connersville (12-16-1) plays No. 5 Silver Creek (27-6) at Southridge in the second regional semifinal on Saturday at apx. 1 pm. The first semi at 10 am has Evansville Memorial (17-8) against Vincennes Lincoln (13-10) at 11 am. Winners play at 7:30 pm.
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Earlier in the day at Rushville, Connersville defeated Greensburg 4-3 and Franklin County upset No. 6 Batesville 6-4.
For CHS in the semifinals, Bentley singled and homered with three RBI. His two-run tater gave the Spartans the lead for good in the seventh. Chanler Fox singled and had the other Spartan ribbie.
The Wildcats got up early against the favored Bulldogs and never trailed. Prows batted in two runs on a hit while Daugherty, Ertel and Austin Short also knocked in a run each.
For the Bulldogs in the loss, Jacob Meer smacked a three-run homer in the sixth. He also had a single. Teammate Max Baumer had a pair of hits and also drove in a run in the third. Batesville outhit Franklin County 11-6 but committed four errors.
We thank Rushville AD Melissa Marlow and staff for the accommodations and hospitality. We thank everyone who contribued to the recaps.