Franklin takes RCAC championship

By PAUL GOTHAM

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Last week the Franklin High baseball team beat the East High Eagles for the first time in more than a decade. The Quakers didn’t wait as long for the next victory over their league rival.

Jonathan Dones hurled five strong innings and delivered a pair of key hits as Franklin claimed the 2017 RCAC championship with an 9-8 victory over East, Monday.

Dones allowed two runs on five hits and struck out five for the win.

“I just threw strikes and trusted my defense,” the junior right-hander said. “I feel very confident when I’m on the mound with our defense behind me.”

Dones got Franklin on the scoreboard with a two-out, two-run double in the second.

“This win is really important for Franklin because we’re not known for baseball,” said the 5-foot-5 Dones. “I’m really happy for my team.”

Angel Cotto led the inning with a double to right field.

“I waited for that curveball, and he threw me a hanger,” Cotto said. “I drove it the other way. Did what I had to do.”

Justin Morales walked, and Dones delivered from there.

East tied the score with a pair in the third.

Luis Carrion highlighted a four-run fourth with a bases-clearing double. The Franklin centerfielder went looking for redemption. He found it with a 2-2 pitch that he sent into left center field.

“I was upset because I had struck out twice,” Carrion said.  “I was just trying to make contact and I was so glad I did. I almost thought it was out of here for a second. It felt great.”

Angel DeJesus reached on a hit by pitch to start the stanza. Dones singled over the third base bag. Frankie Santiago walked to load the bases, and Julian Cotto brought home the first run of the inning when he was also hit by pitch. Then Carrion came to the plate and delivered the big blow.

“We’ve been waiting for this since 2013 ever since we came in here in eighth grade,” Carrion added. “It’s finally great to get one.”

DeJesus and Dones reached on back-to-back one-out singles in the fifth and came home to score when Israel Cuevas’s fly ball was mishandled in center field.

Morales and Michael Lopez connected on a pair of two-out doubles in the sixth to extend the Franklin lead to seven at 9-2.

East sent 11 to the plate in the seventh, had the tying run on second and the winning run at first but could not capitalize. John Segarra beat out a tapper in front of the plate to spark the rally. Eric Maldonado and Jordi Agosto reached on consecutive walks to load the bases.

Sam Sheldon and Tyrone Roundtree both had two-run singles, but the Eagles could not win their fourth straight RCAC title.

“We believed in ourselves,” Angel Cotto said. “That’s something I stressed all year. Everybody had the odds against us, but we knew what we bring to the table. Look at the results.”

Julian Cotto came on to get the final two outs of the game. The Franklin shortstop was part of two double plays turned by the Quaker infield.

Maldonado connected on a one-out solo shot in the third. Sheldon plated Agosto with a single to knot the game at three.

Dones finished 3-for-3 in the game.

Maldonado went 2-for-3 with two walks. Agosto reached on three walks and scored twice. Sheldon was 2-for-4 with three RBI.