The Franklinton Demons baseball team kicked off their 2023 season with their jamboree, hosting the Bogalusa Lumberjacks and the Pine Raiders as each team played the others in a three inning jamboree game.
The Demons and the Raiders squared off first with the Demons’ Tyler Hammond getting the starting nod on the mound from veteran head coach Jeff Tageant.
Hammond stuck out the first batter he faced but walked the next two before the Demon's shortstop, Tryson Fowler, scooped a ground ball, stepped on second then threw the Raider batter out at first for a nice double play to end the inning.
In the second inning Banyan Penton pitched for the Demons and struck out one and walked one but that runner was later picked off.
The Demons scored in the bottom of the second when Dillon Pace lead off with a single before Jo Jo Burkhalter drew a walk. Pace was thrown out at second before Rikken Burkhalter singled. Cade Philips then hit a sacrifice fly to the outfield to score Jo Jo Burkhalter to put the Demons on the scoreboard, up 1-0.
The Raiders were three up, three down in the third with Jacob Tullos pitching for the Demons. The Demons did not score in their half of the inning and the Demons had held on to win, 1-0.
Against Bogalusa the Demons started Dillon Pace who struck out two during his scoreless inning. The Demons scored four runs in their half of the first as Tryson Fowler lead off with a triple, before Penton drew a walk. A passed ball allowed a run to score but another runner was thrown out. Elisha Hart drew a walk before Pace reached on an error. Jo Jo Burkhalter reached on an error which pushed across two runs. Rikken Burkhalter was hit by a pitch before Jo Jo Burkhalter scored on a wild pitch.
Brady Smith pitched the second inning for the Demons walking the first batter he faced before inducing a grounder that the Demons infield turned for a double play. Smith then struck out the third batter to end the inning. The Demons added another run in the second as Kaden Buffinet reached before moving to third on a wild pitch and scoring on Fowler's sacrifice fly for a 5-0 lead over the Lumberjacks.
The Demons sailed through the third inning as the infield turned another double play.
The Demons will host Hammond on Thursday February 23 before travelling to Slidell on Friday and Springfield on Saturday. They will also travel to Central of Baton Rouge on Tuesday February 28.
