Franklinton defeated Bogalusa, 10-3, at BHS in a game that was called after four innings because lightning on Tuesday in summer baseball action,
Bogalusa jumped out to a 3-0 lead after the first inning.
Tyrese Roussell began the frame with a double to left centerfield and he stole third. Josh Taylor walked. Bogalusa then ran the first-and-third play. Taylor took off for second. The throw went to first. Franklinton tried to get Taylor out at second. Roussell broke for the plate on the throw. Franklinton threw home and Roussell beat the play to make it 1-0.
Following the first out, Marlon Myles belted a pitch high and deep to left field and gone for a two-run homer. Bogalusa was up 3-0.
Franklinton then scored 10 unanswered runs, with seven of those coming in the third.
The Demons got on the board in the second inning.
Jalen Burkhalter walked. He advanced to second on a balk, third on a passed ball and he scored on a wild pitch, trimming the lead to 3-1 through two innings.
Bogalusa picked off two runners — one each in the first two innings, and both were at second base.
Franklinton’s big inning came in the third when the Demons tallied seven runs to go up, 8-3.
Richard Berry singled to open the inning and moved to second on a wild pitch. Nate Bracey walked. Richard and Bracey went to second-and-third on a wild pitch. Wyatt Verret reached on a fielder’s choice to load the bases. After the first out, Trent Varnado tied the game with a two-run double to left field that plated Berry and Bracey. Franklinton took the lead, 4-3, when Verret tallied on a throwing error of a pickoff throw and Varnado later scored on a wild pitch to make it 5-3. Burkhalter and Jordan McKenzie walked. Burkhalter scored on a low throw passed the first baseman on a backpick to make it 6-3. Noah Breland walked McKenzie tallied on a dropped throw as Franklinton ran the first-and-third play. A wild pitch sent Breland to third and he scored on Garrett Maxwell’s RBI groundout to first and it was 8-3.
“They picked a couple of guys off and we sort of got away from what we do and that was a little frustrating, but we eventually got a little better at it and scored a few runs. They helped us out with some walks, but we got some big hits,” Franklinton coach Jeff Tageant said.
Tageant said in the summer, the coaching staff is trying to use a lot of different players.
“We were fixing to make some changes here in the (fifth), but lightning is close, so we’ve got to shut it down,” Tageant said. “I was just disappointed that we couldn’t get everybody in.”
Tageant said in the summer, “you are trying to move some people around to see what you have.”
“I thought overall, defensively, we played well. Overall, we pitched well. It’s just sort of a work in progress right now,” Tageant said.
Franklinton added two more runs in the fourth inning. Bracey doubled to open the inning. Jared Jenkins and Varnado walked to fill the bases with one out. Burkhalter drove home courtesy runner Evan Mason Magee with a sacrifice fly and Jenkins scored on a throwing error during the play for the 10-3 final.
Bogalusa was retired in order in the bottom of the fourth.
Lightning came in between innings and the game was called at that point.
Bogalusa coach Michael Cummings said that his team needs to get a bunch of new pitchers broken in.
“That’s our Achilles heel right now is consistent pitching, but it’s coming. That’s what we’re playing these games during the summer,” Cummings said. “It’s practice to me. That’s all it is, glorified practice. The kids I’ve got, they all bat through, so we’re all getting work in.”