It was a tough start to the Little League State Tournament for Franklin.
On Saturday, July 15, the District 6 Champion 12U Majors hosted District 3 Champion Myers Park in the tournament’s first game on their home field at Parker Meadows. In a 15-1 defeat to the team from Charlotte, Franklin was relegated to the Elimination Bracket, drawing the Greenville Tar Heels in a win-or-go-home game.
As the home team, Franklin pitched to Myers Park to start the game, who turned two quick walks and a double into an early 2-0 lead. The runner tagged up on a fly ball out to extend Myers Park’s lead to 3-0.
Myers’ bats stayed hot in the second inning, batting around the order to extend their lead to 11-0.
Franklin held their opponents in check in the top of the third, getting a strikeout from Cam English and a tough catch in right by Lawson Gibson to keep their deficit at 11. Myers added four more runs in the top of the fourth however, taking a commanding 15-0 advantage.
Sam Moore gave the Majors a spark in the bottom of the inning, smacking a leadoff double into the gap to kickstart his team’s offense. On the next at-bat, Moore timed a pitch perfectly in a daring move to steal home, but Franklin was unable to manufacture any more runs and fell 15-1.
After the game, coach Josh Cantrell said he advised his team to leave the game in their rearview mirror.
“First of all, to flush that game,” said Cantrell of his post-game message. “We’ve got to forget about that game; it’s the only way. The second thing is when you get hit right off the bat, it’s an attitude thing – you can’t let that stuff just destroy your whole mindset the rest of the ballgame. It’s hard to coach that stuff, but that’s really the message. They can play baseball … I know they can do it. I see it every day.”
After falling in the opening game, the 12U Majors were relegated to Game 5 of the tournament, needing a win to keep their state title hopes alive. After falling to South Durham in a three-plus-hour, 10-inning marathon Sunday, the Greenville Tar Heels met Franklin in the elimination game after press time July 17.
Ahead of the win-or-die matchup, Cantrell said he instructed his players to take in the rest of the tournament.
“Monday’s our game, so we’ll give them a break, let them enjoy the other games, and see if they can come out with a better attitude,” he said.