It wasn’t the prettiest game of the season for either Franklin Township or Lower Macungie in Senior Connie Mack action Friday night at Christman Field. But sometimes a win doesn’t have to be pretty — and Franklin Township proved that with a gritty 16–10 victory as the regular season winds down.

The Mud Dawgs broke things open with a five‑run sixth inning that ultimately carried them to the win. Franklin Township now sits at 9-4, holding eighth place in the Lehigh Valley Senior Connie Mack standings.

“I’m a big believer in the saying; it’s not always how you start but it’s how you finish. And I thought our guys finished really strong late,” said Franklin Township manager JC Dietz. “We cleaned up our defense late. That was key for us. And overall, we hit the ball well tonight.

“We had some big innings and then we had the really big inning in the sixth. There’s no doubt that both teams came out sloppy tonight, but we got the win and ultimately that’s what it’s all about. We’ll take it.”

The Mud Dawgs offense was consistent as it jumped out to a 6-1 lead. A four-run second was Franklin’s first explosive inning of the night. Hustle plays set the tone, with run‑it‑out singles from Jake Albert and Braylon Hunsicker proving pivotal.

Pierce Goida, Brock Atwood, and Cash White each drove in runs, and a Lower Macungie throwing error added another.

Lower Macungie battled back, starting with a rally in the top of the third. Three runs cut Franklin’s lead to 6–4. Walks were an early issue for Franklin Township, with the leadoff batter reaching in each of the first three innings. LM capitalized in the third with an opening walk and hits by Ryan Knight and Owen Herrity, which loaded the bases with one out.

A hit batter brought in a run, and a Franklin error at second allowed two more. The inning ended when catcher Pierce Goida fired a laser to second, catching a runner trying to steal.

Goida delivered several on‑the‑money throws throughout the night.

“Pierce Goida prevents runs every game for us. He’s a very good catcher and he consistently throws out runners,” said Dietz. “Once he throws out one or two, he really slows down the action on the bases. He made a huge difference again for us tonight.”

Franklin put together another big frame in the fourth, scoring four more to push the lead to 11-6 after LM had plated two in the top half. Smart, aggressive baserunning and a two‑run single from White stretched the gap again. FT also scored twice on a wild pitch and a passed ball.

“We like to be aggressive when it comes to base running. We want to put the pressure on them,” said Dietz. “Our guys did a great job with that tonight. They were smart, they ran hard and they took advantage of opportunities.”

Franklin then put the game away in the sixth, scoring six runs, while holding Lower Macungie scoreless. White came through again for FT, this time with a three-run triple. Atwood and Grant Birnbaum also had RBIs in the inning.

“Cash, we’ve been moving him around the lineup a lot. He’s a really good ballplayer and a good hitter,” said Dietz. “He hit the ball incredibly well with runners in scoring position tonight. He had some great at bats.”

It was a roller coaster ride on the hill for Franklin, with Hunsicker, White and Parker Rodgers working together to get the win. Hunsicker and White did most of the work combining to throw 6 2/3 innings. White did a nice job coming in to relieve Hunsicker, giving up just one earned run while striking out five.

For Franklin Township, White led the way with three hits and six RBIs. Atwood also had a good night, tallying three hits and two RBIs.

Lower Mac 013 220 2 - 10 9 4

Franklin Township 241 405 x - 16 12 3

W - Hunsicker. L - George.

Records: Lower Mac (6-3-3); Franklin Township (9-4).