PITSBURG – National Trail built an early lead and then held off a late Franklin Monroe rally to earn a 5-4 conference win Thursday at Franklin Monroe.
The Blazers jumped in front 3-0 at the top of the first inning and stretched the lead to 5-1 in the fifth before the Jets battled back and made things tense in the final innings.
“Those are games where you learn how to win when it’s not going your way,” said National Trail veteran coach Tyler Luce. “Hats off to FM for fighting — that was all they did the entire game, and kept them in it. The next thing you know, it’s a one-run game, but sometimes you have to win the ugly games too.”
Franklin Monroe coach Ben Mangan liked the fight he saw from his young squad.
“We are a very young team,” Mangan said. “We’re returning three players who had experience from the previous team; everybody else is very young.”
National Trail wasted little time getting started. Braylon Coffee opened the game with a single, and Kellen Laird followed with a hit to put runners on the corners. Mason Leal delivered a run-scoring single, an error brought home another run, and Nick Clark added an RBI groundout to shortstop to give the Blazers a 3-0 advantage after the opening frame.
Franklin Monroe got on the board in the bottom of the fourth. Rowan Yount led off the inning with a double to left and later came home on an error to trim the deficit to 3-1.
The Blazers answered in the top of the fifth to push the lead back to four runs. After a hit batter put a runner aboard, Grady Ott laced an RBI double, and Christian Miears followed with a run-scoring single to make it 5-1.
The young Jets kept battling to stay in the game.
In the bottom of the fifth, Rohan Flory worked a leadoff walk, and Landon Osborne ripped a two-run single to deep left, cutting the National Trail lead to 5-3.
Franklin Monroe made one more push in the bottom of the seventh. Matthew Byram opened the inning with a single, and Owen Hosler followed with an RBI single to center, bringing the Jets within a run at 5-4, but National Trail’s Nick Clark worked out of the jam to close out the win.
“That was a big improvement from even our scrimmages,” Mangan said. “Shows toughness. It was good to see that out of our young kids.”
Luce said getting a win on a difficult night still mattered.
“They’re not always going to look good, so we’ll take a win whenever we can get them,” Luce said.
The game was played in strong wind from start to finish, creating challenges for both teams on routine fly balls in the infield and outfield.
“In the spring, whatever weather brings, you have to bring it, and both teams play in it,” Luce said. “We have to make adjustments and make sure that is no excuse to us. It was definitely tough tonight. That was a tough baseball night for sure.”
Zane Hissong started on the mound for Franklin Monroe and turned in a strong effort despite taking the loss. Hissong allowed nine hits and five runs, four earned, over six innings while striking out eight and walking two. Nate Fenstermaker came on in relief for the Jets.
Leal got the start for National Trail and went four innings, allowing two hits and one unearned run while striking out seven and walking four.
Mangan praised both Hissong and sophomore third baseman Rowan Yount after the game.
“He’s coming through,” Mangan said of Yount. “When he hit that one, that was a good show. I was really impressed with Zane Hissong, his effort pitching tonight, and Nate Fenstermaker coming in. Trail is tough, and for us to hang with them with one of their top pitchers for that long, I’m pleased with our effort.”
Franklin Monroe was active on the bases, stealing eight bags in the game. Braden Gilbert and Byram each stole multiple bases. Yount and Osborne had two hits apiece for the Jets, while Flory and Hosler each drew two walks.
National Trail finished with nine hits. Ott, Leal, and Laird each collected two hits, while Ott, Leal, and Miears each drove in a run. The Blazers also stole four bases in the win.
BOX SCORE:
123 456 7 R H E
300 020 0 5 9 2 National Trail
000 120 1 4 6 2 Franklin Monroe
