BROOKHAVEN – Lawrence County defeated Franklin County 11-1 in Thursday evening high school baseball action at Brookhaven’s Moyer Field, part of the annual Ole Brook Invitational. The teams were locked in a 3-1 pitchers’ duel until the bottom of the fifth, when the Cougars ended the game with an eight-run explosion.

With the win, Josh Garrett’s Cougars improved to 3-1 on the young season. Franklin County, coached by Brent Calcote, fell to 3-1 with the loss.

“We had a good game,” said Lawrence County’s Garrett. “I thought we pitched well, defended well, and hit the ball pretty well. The final score is misleading. This was a tight, tense game until the bottom of the fifth.”

Lawrence County grabbed a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first. T-Tez Cole had an RBI double, and Marcus Atterberry whacked a two-run homer in the frame. It remained 3-0 until the top of the fourth, when Franklin County’s Chris Cantrell drove home Demarte Collins with a two-out single. Collins had singled and stolen second.

That was all the Bulldogs got off LCHS lefty Josh Stephens. In five innings of work, Stephens allowed four singles, walked one and struck out two. Franklin County sophomore Jacob McDaniel also pitched well. After the three-run first, McDaniel shut the Cougars out in the second, third and fourth.

In the bottom of the fifth, Lawrence County put the game away with eight runs on six hits. Brandon Bullock, Josh Stephens, Marcus Kees and Brennan Lang each had run-scoring hits in the inning. Antonio Christmas relieved McDaniel with two outs in the frame.

Cantrell, Collins, Christmas and Dalivan Hunt all had hits for Franklin County. Bullock led Lawrence County with two hits. Cole, Stephens, Atterberry, Kees, Lang, Rishad Haynes and Gabriel Lewis each had one.

Lawrence County is slated to play Brookhaven today in both junior varsity and varsity action, beginning at 5 p.m.