Jake Shaughnessy strikes out 11 Natick hitters; Franklin reaches Pedroli Classic finals
NATICK – Jake Shaughnessy was in control for six innings and Franklin fended off a late Natick rally to win, 8-6, in Friday's late game of the Rich Pedroli Daily News Classic at Mahan Field. Shaughnessy, a senior lefty, struck out 11 batters, including the side in the sixth inning, and added two hits at the plate and a pair of runs batted in.
With his teammates urging him on with chants of "Let's go, Shaunny!" he grew stronger as the game went on. After surrendering a pair of runs in the fourth inning, he allowed just a single to Robert Farr (2 for 4) the rest of the way. He picked off Farr and struck out two batters in that fifth inning before fanning all three batters he faced in the sixth.
At the plate, he singled in the first inning and hit a double to the right-centerfield gap in the sixth.
The Panthers (12-7) will play Lincoln-Sudbury in today's championship game at 2 p.m. L-S (16-5) defeated Hopkinton, 7-3, earlier Friday. Natick will face Hopkinton in the consolation game at 11 a.m.
The Panthers led 8-2 in the last of the seventh before the Redhawks rallied. Braeden Homer drove in a pair of runs with a single and Natick had the tying run on second base before Matt Miller, Franklin's second pitcher of the inning, got a force out with the bases loaded to end the game.
Franklin broke open a 3-2 game by scoring twice on wild pitches in the sixth. An inning later Shaughnessy hit his RBI double and Zach Winer followed with a run-scoring single to put the Panthers up by six runs.
Natick scored both of its runs in the fourth inning when Alex Jacques walked to lead off and stole second. He scored on a Jack Weierman groundout. Homer singled and scored when Matt Schultz drove him in with a single.
Michael Davide's double in the fourth put the Panthers ahead 3-0. Dom Caccavelli went 2 for 3 and drove in a run for Franklin. Ben Yuknis also had two hits and drove in a run.
Natick center fielder Jack Byrne made the defensive play of the night, coming in to make a sliding catch in the third inning. Matt Schultz went 2 for 4 and drove in a run.
This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Jake Shaughnessy, Franklin hold off Natick to reach Pedroli finals
