The Franklinton High Demons baseball team fought their way through a tough extra innings game against the 5A Hammond Tornados last Thursday at home and came away with a 4-3 win. On Friday the Demons defeated 5A Slidell 5-4 on the road before falling to Springfield 10-7 on Saturday.
The Demons got behind in the first inning with Hammond hitting a homerun but they answered to tie the game in the second as Dylan Pace reached on an error and scored when Brady Smith singled.
In the fourth the Demons added two more as Elisha Hart reached on an error before Jo Jo Burkhalter also reached on an error. A passed ball moved both runners into scoring position and they scored when Brady Smith came up with his second single of the game. This put the Demons up 3-1.
The Tors tied the game back up in the fifth on an error and two singles for a 3-3 score. The Demons threatened in the fifth as they loaded the bases but couldn't bring any runs in.
Neither team scored in the sixth or the seventh and the game went into extra innings.
The Demons managed some base runners in the eighth but again couldn't force them in. The ninth inning saw the Demons put the lead off batter on with an error before Fowler singled. Penton was walked to load the bases but again the Demons couldn't plate any runs.
In the tenth the Tors put two on with two singles before the next batter was intentionally walked to load the bases. A strikeout and a groundout ended the inning and the threat from Hammond and kept the game tied at 3-3.
In the bottom of the tenth Brady Smith drew a one out walk then moved to second on a groundout. Dylan Stafford then singled Smith in to win the game for the Demons with a 4-3 score.
Banyan Penton got the win as he pitched four complete innings, striking out three, walking two and allowing just two hits. Dillon Pace pitched the first six innings of the game striking out three, spreading out five hits and walking just one batter.
Offensively the Demons were led by Brady Smith with two hits, Rickken Burkhalter with one, Tryson Fowler with one and Dylan Stafford with one.
The Demons will face off with Lutcher in Ponchatoula on March 2, will play the host Ponchatoula Green Wave on Friday and Hammond on Saturday. The Demons will then host Holden on March 7.
Above, Banyan Penton got the win for the Demons against Hammond as he pitched four innings, striking out three, walking two, and allowing just two hits. PHOTO BY COURTNEY SCHILLING
