Franklin Central is 2-8 against Roncalli since April of 2015 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Franklin Central Flashes will be playing at home against the Roncalli Royals at 6:00 p.m. Both teams come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Franklin Central took a loss when they played away from home on Wednesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Thursday. They had just enough and edged Brownsburg out 5-4.
Nate Schwark was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing 1.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Schwark was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with a stolen base, two RBI, and a double.
In other pitching news, Jake Hotovec looked comfortable as he struck out eight batters over four innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off one hit.
Back at the plate, Anthony Santellana was excellent, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Roncalli made easy work of Brownsburg on Tuesday and carried off a 9-2 win.
Like Franklin Central, Roncalli also got a great game from a two-way player: Collin Ash. He pitched four innings while giving up just two earned runs off two hits. Ash has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in five consecutive pitching appearances. Ash was also big at the plate, going 1-for-4 with a stolen base, two RBI, and a double.
In other pitching news, Daylan Powers looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive pitching appearances.
Back at the plate, the team relied heavily on Sam Roeder, who went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, four RBI, and two runs. Another player making a difference was Will Manship, who scored two runs while going 1-for-2.
Franklin Central's victory ended a four-game drought at home and bumped them up to 8-10. As for Roncalli, they are on a roll lately: they've won nine of their last ten matches, which provided a nice bump to their 13-4 record this season.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Franklin Central has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Roncalli struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.9. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Everything went Franklin Central's way against Roncalli in their previous matchup back in May of 2023 as Franklin Central made off with a 12-2 win. Does Franklin Central have another victory up their sleeve, or will Roncalli turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
