Diamond Dawgs down Port Gibson, Jefferson County

Franklin County’s varsity baseball team made quick work of two 7-3A district rivals at home last week — blowing past Port Gibson, 20-2, on Thursday, March 31 and thumping Jefferson County, 18-0 and 21-0, in a Friday, April 1 twin bill.

The victories boosted FC’s season record to 11-2-1 overall and 6-0 in regional competition.

FC 20, PORT GIBSON 2

Franklin County pounded out 10 hits and collected six walks en route to a 20-2 drubbing of the visiting Blue Waves.

FC scored 13 of its runs in the first inning with seven more coming in the second frame.

Port Gibson scored two runs in the top of the third before the game was called under the mercy rule.

Ridge Clanton and Quez Rancifer both went 2-for-2 in the hitting department with the duo both recording doubles and scoring three runs each.

Additionally, Rancifer led the team with five RBIs while Clanton added four.

Terrance Fields had a 2-for-3 batting effort, which included a pair of doubles along with two runs scored and three RBIs.

Donovan Moore and Noah McCormick both went 1-for-1 against the Blue Waves with the tandem plating three runs each and both drawing a walk.

McCormick was also credited with an RBI.

Dalton Meadows and Jamari Tolliver were both 1-for-2 with one and two runs scored, respectively, and both drawing a lone walk apiece.

Meadows contributed two RBIs and Tolliver added one.

Despite going 0-for-2, Larry Pernell drew a walk and scored a run with courtesy runners Peyton Hebert and JaMarlin Green both scoring one run apiece.

Dakota Chisholm and Fields both reached on errors against Port Gibson.

Moore, Pernell and Tolliver all had two stolen bases each while Fields, Green, Hebert and McCormick each swiped one bag.

From the mound, Meadows worked two-and-a-third innings for the Bulldogs with a total of 43 pitches thrown.

Meadows gave up two runs (both earned) on a hit while striking out six and walking three in the contest.

His pitch-to-strike percentage was 62.8 percent.

Clanton came in to work two-thirds of an inning in relief and threw seven pitches — giving up only one hit.

Clanton’s pitch-to-strike ratio was 71.4 percent.

FC 18, JEFFERSON CO. 0

The Diamond Dawgs scored all 18 of its runs in the first inning on a six-hit plate performance in the initial contest of a scheduled doubleheader at The Swamp with Franklin County cruising to the 18-0 shutout.

Clanton helped pace Franklin’s offense with a 2-for-3 batting effort, which included a double, two runs scored and a team-high six RBIs. He also had three stolen bases.

Meadows, Fields and Tolliver were all 1-for-1 with all three scoring two runs each. Tolliver contributed a trio of RBIs while Fields added two and Meadows had one.

In addition, Tolliver and Fields drew one walk apiece with Fields recording a stolen base.

Meadows picked up a pair of stolen bases.

Moore finished the game 1-for-2 with a double, a pair of runs, an RBI and a stolen base to his credit.

And despite an 0-for-2 outing at the plate, McCormick scored two runs, had an RBI and gained three stolen bases.

Rancifer walked twice, scored two runs and had a stolen base for the Bulldogs while Pernell walked once, scored twice and had an RBI. Chisholm walked once and scored twice with two RBIs, and Green – in a courtesy runner role – scored twice.

Chisholm, Clanton, McCormick and Pernell all reached on Jefferson County errors while Meadows and Moore were hit by pitches.

From the mound, FC’s Tolliver threw only 12 pitches for the win against the Tigers with nine of those being strikes. He surrendered no runs and no hits while striking out two.

FC 21, JEFFERSON CO. 0

Franklin County picked up where it left off in the second game of the twin bill and thumped the visiting Tigers by a 21-0 margin thanks to a 12-hit performance in two total innings of play.

Moore, Clanton and Pernell had two hits apiece – with the trio going 2-for-2 – and all scoring two runs each. Moore recorded a double while Pernell accounted for a team-high five RBIs and Clanton added two.

Meadows and McCormick were both 1-for-1 with a double to their credit, two runs scored apiece and a walk each. McCormick also recorded two RBIs.

Additionally, Fields was 1-for-1 with two runs, an RBI and a walk while Tolliver was 1-for-2 with two runs and an RBI.

Others in the Franklin County line-up getting hits were Judson Arnold (1-for-2 with an RBI and strikeout) and Hebert (1-for-1 with a run).

Scoring for the Bulldogs were Kolby Cox (0-for-1 with one run); Rancifer (0-for-2 with two runs, an RBI and two walks); Kennon Johnson (one run); Chisholm (0-for-1 with a run); and Jack Hutto (one run and an RBI).

Cox, Tolliver and Dawson Halford all reached on Jefferson County errors with Chisholm, Johnson and Kepatrick Nimox all being hit by pitches. Nimox was also credited with an RBI in the game.

Hebert paced the team with three stolen bases with two recorded by Moore and one each for Chisholm, Hutto and Johnson.

McCormick and Halford shared pitching duties for one inning each with the tandem holding the Tigers to no runs on no hits with five strikeouts along the way.

McCormick, who was credited with the win, threw 13 pitches (eight of those being strikes) and struck out three while Halford tossed 14 pitches (nine of those being strikes) and sent two down on strikes.

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ON DECK

The Diamond Dawgs are set to return to action with a home twin bill on Thursday, April 7 against 7-3A foe Tylertown with the contests starting at 5 p.m.

On Tuesday, April 12, FC will host the Wesson Cobras in another regional game with contests beginning at 5 p.m.

The Bulldogs will travel to Wesson at 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 13 in the rubber match.