Franklin is 2-8 against Titusville since May of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Monday. The Knights will venture away from home to take on the Rockets at 4:00 p.m. The last three games Franklin has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
Franklin took a eight-run loss the last time they faced off against Slippery Rock, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Knights came out on top in a nail-biter against the Rockets on Thursday, sneaking past 4-3.
Nate Fezell was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He tossed 6.2 innings while giving up three earned runs off six hits. Fezell was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs. That's the most runs he has posted since back in March.
Fezell wasn't the only one making solid contact as six players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Evan Turner, who went 2-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one double. Another was Drew Kockler, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with one RBI.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Titusville, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Wednesday. They came out on top against Sharon by a score of 11-6 on Thursday. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Rockets considering their two-run performance the contest before.
Like Franklin, Titusville also got a great game from a two-way player: Jaxon Covell. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Covell was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with three stolen bases, two runs, and two doubles. He has been hot, having posted at least one stolen base the last eight times he's played.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Brody Sellen, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two doubles, one run, and one RBI. Ian McDonald was another key player, going 1-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
Titusville was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .483. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Titusville pushed their record up to 11-2 with the victory, which was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season. As for Franklin, the win got them back to even at 6-6.
Franklin might still be hurting after the 19-3 defeat they got from Titusville in their previous matchup two weeks ago. Can the Knights avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
