Norfolk American Legion Loses Lead, Game to Franklin

For the second time this season Norfolk American Legion Post 335 battled back from a large run deficit only to give it right back. Unfortunately both times Nate Leonard was the hard luck pitcher. After Norfolk eclipsed an early 6-0 Franklin lead the home team could not hang on as they eventually fell, 15-9, in District 6 West play Wednesday night in Franklin

“I couldn’t have asked or more from Nate tonight. Before the game I basically told him that he was going with a short roster,” Norfolk coach Bill Lagos said.  Twice he’s done this (the team battled back down by seven against Norwood only to lose the momentum) for us and twice he’s hung n there through adversity. He gave us four solid innings and I couldn’t be happier.”

Playing on their home field as the visitor due to the fact that Norfolk’s field is being redone, Franklin scored once in the top of the first inning on two hits and then batted around in the top of the second inning to extend their lead to
6-0. Tyler Buck led off the inning with the first of his two home runs over the left field fence, both against Leonard.

Following Buck’s blast Franklin got to Leonard for four singles off the bats of Jake Mailman, Bobby Chaiton, Cameron Flateau and Brendan Skidmore. Of the four hits only Skidmore’s produced an RBI, Neal Hart and Jake O’Rourke sacrificed, chasing runners home for Franklin.

After watching Franklin send nine batters to the plate in the top of the inning,Norfolk went one better in the bottom of the inning. Actually Post 335 went four better, sending 13 batters to the plate while chasing Franklin starter
Brendan Kuzio. Norfolk strung together seven hits (all singles) and two walks while taking advantage of an error to score nine unanswered runs and take a three-run lead on Franklin.

Connor Schramm opened the inning with the first Norfolk hit followed by Corey Chan (RBI), Alex MacDonagh, Tyler Campo (RBI), Joe Presti (2RBI), Matt Glass and Jared Clement (RBI). Schramm scored the team’s first and last run of the inning.

“Our best offensive performance of the season that one inning,” the Norfolk skipper said, “the guys came out swinging after getting behind early and they did a nice job to get back into the game.”

                Unfortunately,
that one inning was all that Norfolk could muster the rest of the evening.
Chaiton and Brian Abbott shut out Norfolk over the final 4.2 innings with only
Clement reaching base via the walk only to be erased on an attempted theft of
second base.

                “Wow,
that I did not know,” Franklin Coach Mark D’Angelo said on his team not
allowing a hit following the second inning Norfolk explosion. “Brandon ran into
a little trouble with a couple of close pitches not going our way, but he’s a
young kid and will get the ball again within the week.”

                As
the Franklin arms were keeping the Norfolk bats off balance, Post 75’s bats
continued to find the gaps in the defense. 
Franklin would send another eight batters to the plate in the third inning
scoring five more runs to take an 11-9 lead, one they would not relinquish.
Franklin would add solo runs in the fourth and fifth and would nail the coffin
shut with two more in the sixth to account for the final.

                “We’ve
been swinging the bats well all season, but the balls just weren’t dropping for
us,” the Franklin Coach said. “The last couple of games things have started to
come together for us.”

                Leading
Franklin to its third victory of the season were Buck (2-2 with 2hrs, 2 walks
and 3 runs scored), Flateau (3-4 2RBI), Skidmore (3-4 3RBI), O’Rourke (1-4
3RBI) and Steven Gilbert (1-2 3 runs scored). 
For Norfolk, which drops to 1-7, Chan was the big stick at the plate
going 2-3 with 3 RBI, while Presti knocked in two.