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The School Newspaper of Franklin High School

Pantherbook

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The School Newspaper of Franklin High School

Pantherbook

The School Newspaper of Franklin High School

Pantherbook

Full Count Walkoff

Brendan Skidmore hit a walk off wonder to give Franklin a 6-5 victory against Xavarian. Skidmore, playing as a Junior, was faced with a full count against Xavarian closer Austin DeCarr. Skiddy was expecting the fast ball, and when DeCarr gave it to him, Skiddy knocked it out the park.

The Game had been going back and forth, and at some points it even looked as if this would be the end of the line for Franklin. The Panthers stranded runners in the first four innings, and fell behind Xavarian 1-0 in the fourth.

Finally, in the fifth inning Franklin got on the board. Jon Skaza knocked in two runs with a single up the middle, giving Franklin a 2-1 lead.

In the Sixth, Xavarian got back in the lead though, bringing in three runs. In the bottom of the sixth, Dan Simon fought back by bringing in a run with an RBI single.

Again in the seventh, the Hawks took the lead. In the bottom of the half, Franklin tied the game back up with a run coming in from a bases loaded walk. Franklin left the bases loaded though, as the next two batters were taking down. After the seventh inning, the game was tied 5-5.

The game stayed tied, until the bottom of the ninth when Skidmore gave Franklin the win.

With a quick interview with Skid, he expressed his opinions on the game. Skiddy feels that “it has been a great season, and we have battled hard this season and really came together great as a team in the playoffs.” When asked how he felt as the final pitch was coming in, Skiddy told us how he “had a couple tough at bats before this, so I was trying to relax up there a put a good swing on the ball.” Finally, we asked how he felt his teams morale was going into the bottom of the 9th. Skid said “our morale going into the last inning was the same morale that we have had throughout the entire playoffs, and that has been that ‘we arent supposed to be here right now, so let’s keep shocking everyone. The odds have been against us throughout this entire thing, and all the pressure has been on the other team.”

Franklin will now play North champion Lincoln-Sudbury today at Alumni Field in Lowell in the state semifinals at 5:30 P.M.