Framnigham edges Franklin for Senior Ruth title

   For the second time in a span of three days, coach Steve Dressler's Framingham Flyers went to extra innings. For the second time in three days, they won.

This time however, the 6-5, eight-inning thriller was of greater significance, given that Dressler's club repelled a torrid comeback by a gritty Franklin outfit to take the Central Massachusetts Senior Babe Ruth World Series last night at Bowditch Field.

Chris LeBlanc's single with the bases loaded off Franklin reliever Andrew Finemore propelled the Flyers to a 2-1 series win. Framingham prevailed in the opener on Tuesday night in a 13-inning affair.

``That was a heck of a series,' Dressler said. ``I doubt that there's ever been a (CMass) series that was this competitive.'

``Since Day One, I said that we had the ability to come back on anybody,' said Panthers manager Scott Towne, reflecting on his team's five-run sixth inning that broke a five-inning scoreless streak to even the game at 5-5.

Framingham struck for three in the second and another pair in the third to build the largest lead that either team enjoyed in the series.

But Franklin's offense, throttled effectively by Flyers' starter Vinny Gravallese through five frames, came alive in the sixth.

A tiring Gravallese came out after loading the bases. Moments later, Andy McCarty's double off reliever Sean Monahan cleared the bases, closing the gap to 5-3. With one away, Mike Arthur poked a liner through the hole at shortstop, scoring McCarty from second. John Fiske's sacrifice fly to right drew the Panthers even.

``You start to get comfortable with a five-run lead but those guys have a lot of heart,' Dressler said of Franklin. ``They fought and never, ever gave up. That's a classy team and a classy bunch of guys.'

Both sides were able to push a runner over to third in the seventh but failed to score.
Franklin lefty reliever Drew McNeice started the eighth having retired 14 of the last 17 batters he faced. He left two batters later, after walking Gravallese and giving up a double to Paul O'Neill.

With runners at second and third, reliever Andrew Finemore intentionally walked A.J. Saari, bringing up LeBlanc, who then rifled a single to send Gravallese home and into a mass of Framingham players.

LeBlanc (2-for-4) also drove in a pair of runs in the third when he clubbed a two-run double that bounced just short of the 363 foot sign in center field.

Prior to last night's contest, LeBlanc had been hitless in four trips to the plate.

``My series started tonight,' said the Marian product. ``I haven't been hitting. I was sitting on a fastball and that's what he threw me.'

Monahan earned the win in spite of the rocky sixth inning that he eventually worked out of.

``I was down at first (when they tied it), but I knew I had to pull it together and just throw strikes,' he said.

The series was a rematch of the 2002 World Series, which Franklin took.

``We have a lot of depth, for sure,' Dressler said. ``We have six guys who will be leaving us next year because of their age. They were our leaders this season - they're awesome.'