Bulldogs baseball outlasts Cathedral, falls to Loyd Star

Franklin County’s varsity baseball team split a pair of decisions last week — battling back from an early deficit to down Natchez Cathedral, 7-6, on Friday, Feb. 18 and being shut out by Loyd Star, 8-0, on Tuesday, Feb. 15.

Thus far, the Bulldogs are off to a 3-1 start on their 2022 diamond campaign.

FC 7, CATHEDRAL 6

Franklin spotted Natchez Cathedral six runs in the top of the first inning before the Bulldogs began an storied comeback by plating a single run in the bottom of the frame, two each in the third and fourth innings and two more in the sixth for the 7-6 victory.

Bulldogs’ pitcher Noah McCormick surrendered six runs — all of those earned — on seven hits to start the contest.

FC then opted to bring Dalton Meadows, who would ultimately work the remaining 5-and-2/3 innings, to the mound.

When the dust settled, Meadows gave up only one hit the rest of the way while striking out 10 GreenWave batters on a 66-pitch performance.

Franklin County’s bats came to life in the bottom of the first when Meadows led off with a single to center, stole second and got to third on a ground out by Ridge Clanton.

Donovan Moore popped up for the second out in the frame, but Meadows tagged up and scored on the play to put the Bulldogs on the scoreboard, 6-1.

Neither team scored in the second, but FC got back to business in the latter half of the third despite the fact Clanton flied out and Moore struck out looking to open the at-bat.

Facing two outs, McCormick singled to short and Quez Rancifer singled to third before Dakota Chisholm drew a walk to load the bases.

JaMarlin Green came in as courtesy runner for Chisholm and Cathedral issued another walk — this time to Larry Pernell — and that pushed McCormick across home plate for Franklin’s second run.

Despite a GreenWave pitching change, Terrance Fields drew another Bulldogs’ walk allowing Rancifer to plate his program’s third run.

Three FC runners would be left stranded when the side was retired after Jamari Tolliver flied out to left.

Now trailing 6-3, Meadows helped his cause again with a lead-off home run in the fourth inning.

Clanton then reached on a walk and stole second just before McCormick launched a line-drive single to left that gave Clanton the green light to come home for his team’s fifth run.

The fifth inning turned out to be scoreless for both squads.

In the bottom of the sixth and trailing by one, Rancifer stroked a one-out single to right and stole second and third bases.

Chisholm then drew a walk to put runners on the corners for Franklin.

Green, who came in again as Chisholm’s courtesy runner, advanced to second on a Cathedral passed ball and that put two Bulldogs in scoring position.

Pernell singled on a fly ball to left and both Rancifer and Green then scored to put FC on top, 7-6, to win the affair that was part of a three-team contest at Loyd Star.

Cathedral went on to down Loyd Star, 16-1, in the nightcap of last Friday’s slated games.

In the end, Franklin County had eight hits against Cathedral with McCormick going 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI and Pernell going 1-for-1 with three RBIs.

Meadows went 2-for-3 with two runs and one RBI while Rancifer was 2-for-4 with a pair of runs to his credit.

Clanton and Green also had one run each for the Diamond Dawgs, and Moore and Fields were both credited with an RBI apiece.

LOYD STAR 8, FC 0

Loyd Star stymied the Bulldogs by limiting them to only four hits with no runs on Tuesday, Feb. 15 – handing FC its first loss of the new baseball season.

In addition, Loyd Star scored six of its runs in the bottom of the second and two more in the sixth to seal Franklin’s fate.

In the top of the second, Meadows drew a one-out walk and was left stranded when the side was retired.

Moore doubled on a fly ball to left in the top of the fourth and suffered the same fate as Meadows in being left on the pond.

Fields stroked a two-out single in the top of the fifth and Tolliver followed with a double to center in the first half of the fifth inning before the frame came to a close.

In top of the sixth, Moore drew a one-out walk for the Bulldogs, and Pernell also walked and Fields singled in the top of the seventh, but those efforts resulted in no runs.

Fields was 2-for-3 at the plate for FC while Moore was 1-for-2 and Tolliver was 1-for-3.

Loyd Star had eight hits against Franklin with Tolliver starting from the mound and being tagged for five runs — all earned — while giving up three hits and walking three.

Clanton went the rest of the way for the Bulldogs and surrendered three runs — one earned — on five hits while striking out one.

FC was also tagged for two errors in the game.

Subject to weather or scheduling changes, Franklin County returns to action by hosting Natchez Cathedral on Thursday, Feb. 24 at The Swamp.

The Bulldogs are scheduled to play at Enterprise on Friday, Feb. 25 and then host McComb on Monday, Feb. 28.

FC will face Lawrence County on the road Saturday, March 5.