FC Diamond Dawgs win twin bill opener

WESSON — Franklin County’s varsity baseball team opened its 2022 campaign with a pair of wins in the Wesson Attendance Center Tournament played Saturday, Feb. 12.

The Bulldogs combined for 11 hits and 15 walks in the outings to start the season.

FC claimed an 11-2 win over McComb in the early tourney game and then a 9-3 victory against Bogue Chitto in the noon contest.

FC 11, McCOMB 2

All of McComb’s scoring came in the top of the first as the Tigers plated two runs, but it was all Franklin County from there as the Bulldogs plated one run in the bottom of the initial frame and exploded for 10 more runs in the bottom of the third.

In the bottom of the first, Ridge Clanton stroked a one-out single to center and made his way to third on a follow-up double by Dalton Meadows.

The baserunners both stole before the inning came to an end with Clanton making it home and Meadows getting as far as third.

Trailing by a 2-1 margin, the Bulldogs’ offense went to work in the latter half of the third. Meadows was hit by a pitch to start the series before he went on to steal second and third and ultimately score on a McComb wild pitch to knot the score at 2-all.

FC’s Noah McCormick drew a walk and JaMarlin Green came in as his courtesy runner. Green stole second in advance of a line-drive single by Quez Rancifer and put the Dawgs’ third score on the tally sheet.

Larry Pernell flied out to center for Franklin’s first out and Dakota Chisholm reached after being hit by a Tigers’ pitch.

With Rancifer at second and Chisholm at first, Jamari Tolliver came to the plate. Rancifer and Chisholm advanced one base each on dual steals and Tolliver would load the bases when he was walked.

Judson Arnold then drew a walk, which pushed Rancifer in for his team’s fourth run of the game.

Another walk, issued to Donavon Moore, allowed Chishom to score FC’s fifth run – and the bags remained filled with Bulldogs’ runners.

Clanton came on to belt a single to center that green-lighted Tolliver to come home for a 6-2 FC advantage before Meadows was hit again by a pitch that prompted Arnold to walk in for a seventh run.

McCormick flied out to left to record his team’s second out and three Bulldogs’ baserunners stayed in place. Moore would steal home for Franklin’s eighth run before Rancifer drew a walk to keep the bags full.

Yet another walk, given this time to Pernell, pushed Clanton home for a ninth score and Meadows stole home to give Franklin a 10-2 lead.

The Bulldogs’ final run came when Tolliver drew another bases-loaded walk and Rancifer touched home plate.

In the contest, Franklin County recorded four hits in 12 at-bats with Clanton stroking two hits (in three at-bats) with one hit apiece for Meadows and Rancifer.

The Bulldogs were issued a total of 10 walks in the outing.

Clanton, Meadows and Rancifer had two runs each while Moore, Chisholm, Tolliver, Arnold and Green collected one apiece.
A trio of Bulldogs’ pitchers worked the mound with Petton Hebert working two-third of an inning to start the game and surrendering the two runs on a hit while striking out one and walking two.

Clanton, in one-and-two-thirds innings, struck out one McComb batter and McCormick ultimately struck out four and walked one in one-and-two-third innings as pitcher.

FC 9, BOGUE CHITTO 3

Franklin County jumped out to a four-run advantage early and scored five insurance runs late to take a 9-3 win over Bogue Chitto.

The Bulldogs got things rolling in the bottom of the first as Pernell stroked a one-out single to left and made his way into scoring position with a steal of second and a grab for third following a wild pitch.

Moore drew a walk before Meadows hit a ground ball and reached on an error that also permitted Pernell to score his team’s first run of the game.

With Moore at third and Meadows at second, McCormick delivered a three-run homer to center that put the Dawgs up by a 4-0 margin.

Bogue Chitto scored two runs in the top of the third to cut Franklin’s advantage to two, but the Bulldogs were able to give themselves some breathing room with three runs in the bottom half of the frame.

Moore started things off for FC with a walk and he ultimately scored on a single fly ball to left by Meadows.

Then, facing two outs, Clanton drew a walk to put runners on the corners prior to Terrance Fields singling to right and scoring Meadows from third for FC’s sixth run of the game.

Another single – this time from Tolliver and sent toward short – brought Clanton home for a 7-2 Bulldogs’ lead before the side was retired.

Bogue Chitto scored a lone run in the top of the fourth, and Franklin added two of its own before the contest came to an end.

Pernell and Moore walked to lead off the latter half of the fourth and McCormick stroked a double to left that brought both baserunners home for the 9-3 victory.

Franklin County recorded seven hits in the victory with McCormick having a team-leading two and Pernell, Meadows, Rancifer, Fields and Tolliver collecting one each.

The Bulldogs drew five walks against Bogue Chitto with three of those by Moore and one each for Pernell and Clanton.

Moore had three of his team’s nine runs with Pernell and Meadows accounting for two each and McCormick and Clanton with one run apiece.

FC’s pitching trio of Tolliver, Meadows and Clanton kept Bogue Chitto contained to three runs on six hits.

Tolliver worked one inning and gave up one hit while Meadows worked one-and-two-third innings and surrendered three runs and one hit while striking out four and walking two.

Clanton in one-third of an inning allowed only one hit in five pitches thrown.