Franklin started with a 3 run inning and finished with a 3 run inning and reliever Josh Atomanczyk shut the door on Brock as Franklin won 7-4 to capture the 2024 3A State Championship title. It was Franklin’s first ever baseball State Championship.
Franklin got off to a big start in the 1st inning scoring 3 runs without a hit past the infield. Atomanczyk walked and Blake Autrey moved him to 2nd with a Sac Bunt. Cort Lowrly walked and Atomanczyk went to 3rd on wild pitch. AJ Phillips then dribbled a ground ball down the first base line for a single. Atomanczyk scored. Noah Tart then placed a perfect bunt and made it to first safely while Curt Lowry scored. Dylan Stallones followed with another bunt single and Phillips scored on a throwing error to make it 3-0 Franklin.
Brock cut the lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the 1st. Canon Lightfoot walked and advanced to 3B on wild pitches. A Cam Harris ground ball scored Lightfoot.
Franklin picked up another run in the top of the 3rd. Tart walked and courtesy runner Walker Anderson got to 2nd on a sac bunt and to 3rd on a wild pitch. With one out Eric Gomez hit a fly ball to centerfield that scored Anderson giving Franklin a 4-1 lead.
Brock had a rally in the bottom of the 3rd. Sawyer Strosnider tripled to score Jesse Rusinek. Strosnider then scored on a Cooper Massey sacrifice fly out to center field. Asa Parenteau singled and Cam Harris scored from 3rd tying the game at 4 apiece.
Atomanczyk came in to pitch in the 4th inning. He retired 7 straight Brock hitters before giving a walk and a hit batter but shut down the threat with a couple of fly ball outs.
Franklin’s 7th didn’t start out well with and ground out and fly out to start the inning. Phillips walked and Karson Kram came in to pinch run and went to 2nd on a wild pitch. Tart then hit a fly ball that was just out of the reach of the shortstop and leftfielder and Kram scored on the hit. With Tart on second, pinch hitter Walker Anderson singled to score Tart. Anderson scored from second on an infield error and Franklin led 7-4.
Atomanczyk gave up a leadoff double in the bottom of the 7th but he got a ground out, a pop up and a ground ball he fielded for the 3rd out to give Franklin the win. Atomanczyk pitched 4.2 innings and gave up no runs on 2 hits with 1 walk and 3 strikeouts. He was named the UIL State Championship Game MVP.
Atomanczyk commented on his pitching performance: “We had a plan for Shaw to start the game and then for me to come in the game later. He did an amazing job and put me in a good spot and I just came and tried to throw the ball to the plate and let my defense work and they did an amazing job. This is an amazing way to go out. My senior year has been my best year!”
Franklin Head Coach Matthew Williams also commented on Atomanczyk’s performance: “Josh did what we wanted him to do. Cadyn started and did what he needed him to do and Josh came in and was solid like he has been so many times. There’s nobody else we would rather have in that spot and he delivered again.”
Franklin..3 0 1 0 0 0 3 – 7 .6. 0
Brock….. 1 0 3 0 0 0 0 – 4 .3 .2
