Franklin Regional blanks Kiski Area in section opener

By: Michael Love
Monday, April 3, 2023 | 9:41 PM

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Franklin Regional pitcher Carli Ramchandran didn’t give up any hits through five innings of Monday’s Section 2-5A opener at Kiski Area.

The Panthers senior surrendered a first-inning walk, but the runner was eliminated attempting to steal second.

Cavaliers catcher Isabella Delia led off the bottom of the sixth with a double, but her courtesy runner was left stranded as Ramchandran and the FR defense held strong.

The Panthers got all the offense they would need with a run in the first inning, and they added on over the final three frames to complete a 6-0 victory.

“I am happy with the way I pitched, and I owe it all to my defense for the way they played behind me. They did a great job fielding everything,” said Ramchandran, who finished the complete game with just two hits and two walks allowed while striking out seven.

“Us scoring those extra runs really helped me settle down even more and just pitch to finish the game. I knew what I needed to do, and we completed the win.”

Franklin Regional improved to 3-2 overall and bounced back from a 6-3 setback March 29 to Triblive HSSN Class 5A No. 2 Shaler. The Panthers host section foe Penn-Trafford on Wednesday.

“We’re looking to clean a few things up,” Armstrong said. “This section is so strong with the likes of P-T, Latrobe, Armstrong and Kiski.”

Kiski Area again threatened to get on the scoreboard in the last half of the seventh.

With two outs, Cavaliers senior pitcher Hannah Simpson drew a walk and moved to second on a wild pitch.

Junior left fielder Mackenzie Rainey then singled to center. As she attempted to move up on a throw toward home plate, the ball was cut off. The throw to second arrived a fraction of a second before a sliding Rainey, and she was called out to end the game.

“Carli did a great job today,” Franklin Regional veteran coach Jim Armstrong said. “She was in control of the game. She’s a very good pitcher, and she’s only going to improve from here.”

Armstrong noted the continued improved play of his defense which didn’t commit an error against the Cavaliers.

“We played a really clean game today, and that is great to see,” he said. “We’re still trying to sort some things out, but we feel like our defense is getting better and better.”

While Ramchandran fared well in the circle for Franklin Regional, Simpson also was strong for Kiski Area.

She gave up an unearned run on an error in the first inning and retired 11 of the next 12 Panthers batters.

But the FR offense stung her for five runs on seven hits over the final three innings.

Of the seven hits, five were for extra bases. Panthers sophomore second baseman Toryn Fulton doubled in a run in the fifth and knocked in another run with a triple in the seventh.

“(Simpson) was a change from recent pitchers, but we just had to adjust to it,” Fulton said.

Sophomore third baseman Ciara Camacho (triple), senior center fielder Sydney Jackson (double) and Ramchandran (double) added extra-base hits.

Senior catcher Lexi Patberg (single) and senior first baseman Madison Nguyen (groundout) also drove in runs.

“Hannah is a good pitcher, and she’s had our number,” Armstrong said. “We’ve split with them the past couple of years. We feel we have a pretty good lineup, top to bottom. Ciara is just coming back from injury. She gives us a spark at the top of the lineup.”

Of the six runs given up by Simpson, four were earned. She struck out five and walked two.

“FR hitters found holes in the outfield a number of times,” Kiski Area coach John Kinnamon said. “Hannah is a pitch-to-contact pitcher, and they put the ball in play and found grass.”

The Cavaliers lost for the first time after a 3-0 start. Kiski Area returns to section action Wednesday at Gateway before a section clash at Penn-Trafford on Monday.

“I think when you come out of this section, you will have played the best team in the WPIAL,” Kinnamon said. “Every team knows that this section is a meat grinder. There’s probably not a tougher section in the WPIAL.”

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: Franklin Regional, Kiski Area