Grizzlies bring broom

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By Matt Muncy, April 27, 2009

The Grizzlies got the best of the Panthers again Saturday defeating them in both games with the scores of 10-4 and 15-13. The two victories pushed the Grizzlies winning streak to nine, the longest of the season.

 

“The streaks just take care of themselves,” said head coach Lance Marshall. “If you worry about the streaks then you lose focus on the game at hand.

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The Grizzlies also clinched a playoff spot in the HCAC tournament. The Grizzlies need to win two of the last four games to clinch the conference.

 

“It doesn’t have an impact. We have talked all year about playing one pitch and one inning at a time,” said Marshall. “We have to continue doing that down the stretch.”

 

Game one was close just like on Thursday. After three innings the Grizzlies led 4-3. In the top of the fourth the Panthers scored a run to tie the game. The Grizzlies offense exploded in the bottom of the inning scoring five runs on four hits. The Grizzlies added one more run in the sixth inning and sophomore pitcher Devin McNealy shut out the Panthers in the seventh.

 

“We try every inning to score and sometimes it comes down to seeing a pitcher more than once and getting them into their bullpen. The hits are turning into runs then,” said Marshall.

 

Junior Luke Mehringer earned the win for Franklin after pitching four innings and giving up four runs, two earned, off of six hits. Mehringer is 7-1 on the season.

 

Senior Adam Blackburn led the Grizzlies with three hits including a homerun and drove in two runs. Sophomore Alex Boon helped with two hits while driving in three runs.

 

Game two was a batters game. Franklin scored three runs in the first two innings before the Panthers unloaded on freshman Shawn Mattingly for five runs in the top of the third. Down 5-3 the Grizzlies fought their way back and took the lead in the bottom of the fifth 9-7 after scoring four runs. Both teams scored a run in the sixth before exploding again in the seventh.

 

 The Panthers scored five runs in the top of the seventh followed by the Grizzlies answering with four runs of their own to maintain their lead. Franklin scored one run in the bottom of the eighth to push their lead to 15-13 and sophomore Cody Nees locked up the Panthers batters for his third save of the year.

 

“It is important to have quality arms to come out of the bullpen. Cody is used to being in those situations and he has broken the career saves record and he is only a sophomore,” said Marshall.

 

Sophomore Nathan Bryant earned the win for the Grizzlies, his first of the year, after pitching one and a third innings.

 

Sophomore Matt Zmich led the Grizzlies with five RBIs off of two hits. Senior Jim Sweinconek added four RBIs off of four hits.

 

The Grizzlies travel to Anderson University to take on the Ravens on Tuesday at 4 p.m.