BRUNSWICK – Kyle Franklin allowed three hits over six innings and Zach Lavoie singled in two runs during a three-run sixth as Brunswick knocked off Erskine Academy 4-1 in an Eastern Class A baseball game Friday.

A crisply played duel between left-handers Franklin and Jory Humphrey of Erskine was tied at 1-1 when Max Roberts led off the Brunswick sixth with a walk and Luke Carter followed with a bloop single to left.

Additional Photos

Garrett Erb of Brunswick tracks down a drive in the left-field alley Friday to rob Sean Cabanis of Erskine Academy during the fifth inning of Brunswick’s 4-1 victory at home. John Ewing/Staff Photographer

Shane Lizotte reached on a one-out infield error as Roberts scored, and Trent Anderson was intentionally walked to load the bases.

Humphrey looked to escape further damage with his second strikeout of the inning, but Lavoie jumped on the first pitch and flared it near the right-field line for two runs before Josh Bailey relieved to get the final out.

“(Humphrey had) been throwing fastballs on the outside on the first pitch,” said Lavoie, “and I went up there telling myself to just go with the pitch.

“It was a good win for us and we kept our focus, which we haven’t always done this year.”

“(Lavoie) came up huge,” said Brunswick Coach Bill Ridge. “That was a good piece of hitting.”

Alex Emery pitched the seventh and nailed down the victory for Brunswick (4-2) despite a Humphrey leadoff single and a one-out walk.

“(Franklin) pitched a real nice game,” said Ridge. “He’s a crafty left-hander, he keeps batters off balance with offspeed stuff, and he hits his spots. But I told him there was nothing he could do to keep me from bringing in (Emery).

“We’ve found we’re more successful when we bring in a reliever at the start of an inning. That lets them find their rhythm without worrying about runners on base.”

“It’s a pitch-count thing,” Franklin said. “I was up around 85 pitches and they didn’t want me going any further.”

Humphrey (four hits, seven strikeouts) probably deserved a better fate.

He allowed an unearned run in the first on a Roberts infield hit, a walk and an error before retiring the next 10 Dragons.

The streak ended when Lavoie led off the fifth with a ground single.

But the Eagles (3-2) could do little with Franklin, who considers his change-up his best pitch and says of his offspeed assortment, “It’s what I have to do.”

Franklin allowed just a first-inning single to Tom Grady before Ryan Pulver reached on a one-out infield single in the fourth for Erskine.

Shyler Scates then executed a perfect hit-and-run single to right, and Caleb Bragg-Grady followed with a run-scoring single to tie it.

Franklin also got some defensive help from left fielder Garrett Erb, who made a leaping, tumbling grab of a Sean Cabanis drive into the alley with a man on base in the fifth.

“We didn’t score any runs and they did, and they deserved the win,” said Erskine Coach Lars Janossen.

“We couldn’t get the timely hit and that’s been a problem for us. But their pitcher did a good job keeping us off balance, and they got a couple of timely hits. All the credit to them.”

Related Stories