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Championship Saturday

Frewsburg Knocks Off Franklinville To Claim D2 East

Frewsburg shortstop Jack Yost throws across the diamond for an out during Saturday’s CCAA Division 2 East game in Franklinville. P-J photos by Scott Reagle

FRANKLINVILLE — Despite all of their sectional success, Frewsburg head coach Jay Grann couldn’t remember the last time the Bears won a league title outright.

Now that answer is 2019.

Senior Nick Marsh went 3 for 3 with three doubles and a pair of RBIs while sophomores Tradon Gray and Ryan Schrecengost pitched out of trouble on the mound as Frewsburg beat Franklinville, 5-4, in Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association Division 2 East action Saturday morning.

The victory sent the Bears — 21-time Section VI champions — to 8-2 in league play while the Panthers and Randolph both finished 7-3 in Division 2 East competition.

“We wanted it to ourselves, it’s been a long time,” Grann said postgame. ” … The kids worked hard this year and they deserved it. They played really well over the last week and a half or two to clinch this.”

Frewsburg second baseman Nolan Brinks made a play on a ground ball.

Gray threw the first four innings, striking out six while allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits and three walks.

“He’s just coming into his own. He’s finding a way to battle and finding a way to get outs, even when he can’t maybe have his best stuff,” Grann said of Gray. “He’s using his defense. He just really toughed it out today.”

Schrecengost came on after Frewsburg took a 4-2 lead in the top half of the fifth inning to hold Franklinville to two runs on four hits and a walk while striking out three over the final three innings.

“Schrec’s our fireman, he puts out the fires,” Grann said. “He throws strikes for us, plays to his defense. He’s pretty effective.”

The Panthers scored single runs in the first and second innings, but the damage could have been worse.

Franklinville’s Vinny Marchese slides under a tag by Frewsburg third baseman Aaron Hair during Saturday’s CCAA Division 2 East game in Franklinville.

After a Vinny Marchese sacrifice fly plated Jacob Peters in the first inning, Franklinville left two runners on when Gray struck out Blake Frank to end the inning.

“It slipped away. We left so many runners in scoring position,” Franklinville head coach Vinny Mitrowski said. “It’s just very disappointing that we didn’t have anybody come through in all of those situations and cash in some of those runs.”

Again in the second, Gage Farrington singled on a two-out bunt and Peters walked before a double steal put runners at second and third. Logan Frank then struck out swinging on a dropped third strike, but a moment of hesitation forced Marsh into a bad throw to first and Farrington scored. Gray then induced a grounder to short to end the frame.

“It’s just lack of execution. I think we’re swinging at good pitches, we’re just not coming through when we need to,” Mitrowski said. “We don’t have a clutch hit when we need it most.”

The Bears got on the board in the top of the third as leadoff hitter Jack Yost singled on a line drive to left field and Aaron Hair reached on an error before Marsh’s one-out double to deep center field scored both runners.

“Nick’s definitely struggled, he’ll be the first one to tell you that. He doesn’t stop working, he doesn’t give up,” Grann said of his No. 3 hitter. “He’s a fighter. He had a great day today.”

Gray got out of another jam to end his final inning as Matt Peters reached on an error and Farrington walked before Peters struck out looking and Logan Frank grounded out to second.

Frewsburg took the lead for good in the fifth as Yost singled with one out and Marsh doubled with two outs. Nolan Brink then singled on a soft grounder to third base to plate Yost and Gray followed with an RBI single to left field.

“Nolan, Nick and Kaleb (Bender), they put their time in and they put their work in,” Grann said of his three seniors. “They’ve been tremendous leaders this year. Sometimes even when their stats don’t show it, they are the ones pulling this team together, they’re the ones making it go. They’re the engine.”

Schrecengost put two runners on with one out in the fifth before a strikeout and a ground out got him out of the inning.

Bender reached on a fielder’s choice in the sixth and scored on a Caleb Carr double off the left-field fence.

“Caleb is probably not every other team’s No. 9 hitter, but we like him there,” Grann said. “He finds a way to set the table. He’s been producing a lot of runs for us and today he showed a little pop.”

Back-to-back doubles from Peters and Logan Frank made it 5-3 in the sixth inning, but another Schrecengost strikeout got the Bears out of the inning.

In the seventh, Zack Wolfer singled with one out and eventually scored on Aeden Farrington’s ground out to third, but Schrecengost got Matt Peters to pop out to Gray at first base for the final out.

“We put ourselves in a good spot, had good pitching and played solid defensively, but just didn’t have any timely hitting,” Mitrowski said. “It’s been that way for the past couple of games unfortunately.”

The Panthers are the likely No. 2 seed in the Class D postseason.

“We have to move on. We have a couple of nonleague games coming up,” Mitrowski said. “We can’t dwell on it, we just have to move on, and try to get better. Hopefully we’ll have a couple of guys come through for us.”

Frewsburg will now host Southwestern in a nonleague game Monday as it preps for a likely No. 4 seed in the Class C playoffs.

“Obviously when Aaron’s on the mound, we feel good about seven innings,” Grann said about Hair, the Bears’ ace. “Now going to a combination effort with Jack (Yost), Traden or Schrecengost, we feel good about it.”

NOTES: Hair had two hits, including a double. … Frewsburg left seven runners on base while Franklinville stranded nine. … Jacob Peters threw a complete game, allowing 10 hits and a walk while striking out three. … Frewsburg’s last league title came in 2012.

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