FRANKLIN, Ind. – Kyle Cassidy (Naperville, Ill./Waubonsie Valley) deserved a better fate after turning a lead over to the bullpen in the seventh inning of game one and several batters produced, but Albion College was swept by Franklin (Ind.) College by scores of 7-3 and 17-8 in a non-league baseball doubleheader.

Cassidy worked six innings in game one, allowing just one earned run on four hits and four walks. He may have kept Franklin from scoring in the first inning, but a throwing error after the Albion right fielder had caught a fly ball for the second out allowed a Grizzlies runner to cross the plate. A throwing error by an Albion infielder opened the door for Franklin to push an unearned run across the plate in the fourth.

Albion held a 3-2 lead going into the seventh as it scored twice in the fourth and once in the fifth.

The Britons collected four hits in the fourth as Chris Kruppe (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley) and Chuck DeClarke (Lansing Catholic Central) produced back-to-back singles to start the inning. Kruppe scored on Eric Shimmel's (Warren/Cousino) ground ball and DeClarke scored on Ben Gould's (Alpena) single.

Chad Gromek (Lansing Catholic Central) laced a one-out double down the left field line in the fifth, and he later scored on a passed ball.

Cassidy showed signs of tiring in the sixth as he issued three walks to load the bases, but the Grizzlies were unable to hit the ball out of the infield in bouncing into fielders' choice plays for the second and third outs.

DeClarke laced a RBI double down the left field line and Shimmel and Dan Mills (Northville) later produced RBI singles as Albion jumped out to a 3-0 lead after 3 ½ innings in the nightcap. Franklin answered with seven runs in its half of the fourth and nine runs in the sixth.

DeClarke added a RBI single in the fifth to finish the day with three hits. Mills went 3-for-6 with a walk in the twinbill, and Chase Kreger (Albion), Gould and Shimmel all collected two hits.