EAST STROUDSBURG — It’s amazing how much can change between two teams over the course of a season.

Franklin Township found that out Wednesday against East Stroudsburg in the Senior Connie Mack League playoffs.

After getting pummeled by East Stroudsburg earlier this season, Franklin Township turned the tables in the rematch, using a 10-run third inning to run away with a 12-1 victory and advance to the league semifinals.

“Baseball’s a strange game, and you just never know,” Franklin Township head coach JC Dietz said. “I told them, ‘The last time we played this team, we lost 19-1.’ It’s not that we didn’t play well that game. They were just hitting the ball and (finding) holes. I felt pretty confident going in because we’re a different team than we were when we played them earlier in the season.”

While the first two innings were relatively uneventful, they still showed how much Dietz’s club has improved.

The Mud Dawgs capitalized on an East Stroudsburg throwing error in the first inning to take a 1-0 lead, while starting pitcher Braylon Hunsicker got help from his defense to work out of a pair of early jams.

When the third inning began, just about everything that could go right for Franklin Township did.

Another East Stroudsburg error brought home the second run, and the defense seemed to unravel from there as the Mud Dawgs repeatedly took advantage.

“One bad play … and then it just compounds after that,” East Stroudsburg coach Josh Banning said. “Kids got in their heads and let the mental side of the game get to them.”

In all, 15 batters came to the plate in the inning. Franklin Township collected eight hits and benefited from four East Stroudsburg errors while scoring 10 runs to build an 11-0 advantage.

Cash White and Logan Bellis delivered RBI doubles, while four other batters drove in runs with singles, including Hunsicker, who also stole home.

Both during and after the inning, Dietz continued reminding his players about the previous meeting with East Stroudsburg and the importance of not letting up.

Hunsicker received more defensive support in the bottom of the third when White snagged a line drive and turned it into an unassisted double play.

Dietz then turned to Parker Rodgers to close out the final two innings. Although East Stroudsburg scored on a wild pitch in the fourth, Franklin Township answered in the fifth when Brayden Ulshafer collected his second RBI single of the game, setting the stage for Rodgers to finish off the victory and clinch a berth in the final four.

“Our kids’ approach and fundamentals have gotten better as the season went on,” Dietz said. “The biggest thing in baseball is if you pitch well, you hit with runners in scoring position, and you play good defense, you’re going to be in a lot of baseball games. I’m very proud of the effort. It’s a great win here.”

STAYING ON FIRE ... The Mud Dawgs have now won seven straight games, outscoring opponents 72-10 during the streak while averaging 12 runs over their last three contests.

GOLD STANDARD ... Franklin Township will face undefeated Southern Lehigh in Friday evening’s semifinal at Limeport Stadium. Southern Lehigh defeated Nazareth 7-3 to advance.

“No matter what level it is, Southern Lehigh is always a team you’re looking up to,” Dietz said. “They’re the best team in the league. They do things the right way. We’re going to show up, play our game, and we’ll see what happens.”

Franklin Township 10(10) 01 — 12 11 1

East Stroudsburg 000 10 — 1 5 4

Hunsicker, Rodgers (4) and Goida; Miller, Long (3), Siptroth (3). W — Hunsicker. L — Miller.

Records: Franklin Township (14-4); East Stroudsburg (12-5).