DeSales ends Franklin dream season

Stallions run-rule Wildcats 14-0 to capture D-II regional crown

Photos: Franklin vs. Col. DeSales

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By Skip Weaver, Staff Writer Updated 2:49 AM Saturday, May 30, 2009

DAYTON — The Franklin High School baseball teams’ amazing run has come to an end.

Columbus St. Francis DeSales (22-9) unleashed a powerful offense on four Wildcat pitchers en route to a 14-0, five-inning victory on Friday, May 29 in the Division II regional championship game at the University of Dayton’s Time Warner Cable Field.

It was the second time the Wildcats (23-6) have reached the regional finals, also losing to McNicholas in 1998.

“We ran into a buzz saw today,” Franklin coach Matt Kinser said. “They really brought it to us today.”

The Stallions got a solo home run from junior shortstop Sean Vollenweider — his first career homer — with two outs in the bottom of the first inning.

But is was a bases loaded triple by senior center fielder Corey Kuskowski in the second inning that put the dagger in Franklin.

“We weren’t back on our heels by any means after that,” Franklin coach Matt Kinser said, “but that hit did the most damage to us. They are definitely the best team we’ve seen all year.”

Thomas Gentile, who is going to the University of Cincinnati, was masterful on the mound fort DeSales. He held a Wildcats’ team that averaged eight runs a game to zero on three hits.

“We got out of him exactly what we expected today,” DeSales coach Tom Neubert said of Gentile, who ran his record to 9-2.

It was the second day in a row that DeSales pitchers threw complete-game shutouts. In Thursday’s semifinal, Andrew Parise blanked Bellefontaine 9-0.

“If you could picture in your mind what you would want your pitchers to do in the regional tournament, this is what it was,” Neubert said. “These guys have been unbelievable all year. Something just clicked with them.”

Something clicked for Franklin as well this year, even though the season has ended. Kinser called this “one of the best seasons in Franklin history.”

“I’m really proud of what these guys have done,” Kinser said. “Of course we’re disappointed in not reaching our ultimate goal, but we have to try and remember the good things we accomplished this year, and not just this one game.

“These guys have all put in so much time,” he continued. “It’s hard, but we are more proud than we are upset.”

Mike Miller was 3-for-3 with four RBIs and two runs scored for the Stallions. Vollenweider and Gentile each had two hits.

Franklin had one hit each by Jordan Pergrem, Dalton Davis and Seth Moore.

Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2852 or sweaver@coxohio.com.

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