The Franklinton Demons baseball team won their final regular season game last Monday at Demon Diamond against the Sumner Cowboys, 16-1. The win marked the final regular season game for the Demon's legendary coach Jeff Tageant who is retiring. He retires with a 564-315-2 record (not counting upcoming second round playoff games). He has a 34-35 playoff record currently.
In the Sumner game, Tageant threw the ceremonial first pitch for the last regular season game of his career. He was caught by his son, Clay, a Demon assistant coach.
Against the Cowboys the Demons got behind early as the Cowboys scored a run in the first but the Demons tied the game in the bottom half of the inning. In the second inning the Demons took the lead 4-1 when they used an error and two hit batters to load the bases for Rickken Burkhalter who singled in two runs. A walk loaded the bases for Elisha Hart who hit into a fielders choice but pushed across a run.
The Demons grabbed control of the game in the third when they used eight hits, two errors, a walk, a hit batter and a balk to score twelve runs and hold a 16-1 lead. The Cowboys went down in order in the fourth and, other than one walk, did also in the fifth to end the game early via the ten run rule.
Starting pitcher Dillon Pace pitched three innings striking out two, walking three but only allowing one hit. Will Turner pitched one inning striking out two and Tyler Hammond pitched one inning striking out three and walking one.
Offensively for the Demons Tryson Fowler had a double and a single, Cade Philips had two singles, Dillon Pace had a double, Elisha Hart had a double, Brady Smith had a double, Rickken Burkhalter had a single and Banyan Penton had a single.
Legendary FHS baseball head coach Jeff Tageant throws out the ceremonial first pitch in the Sumner game. He was caught by his son, Clay, at right. Clay Tageant is an FHS assistant coach.
PHOTO BY COURTNEY SCHILLING
