HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Frankfort brings a nine-game winning streak into the state tournament, and the Falcons look to make it 12 by the end of the week.
Frankfort (24-7) is the No. 2 seed in the Class AA state playoffs and battles No. 7 seed Lincoln (21-13) in the quarterfinals on Monday at 5 p.m. at Marshall University’s Jack Cook Field.
The Falcons won the championship the last time they were in AA, capturing the 2024 crown. Frankfort was the Class AAA runner-up last year to Ripley.
Frankfort, which also won the 1988 Class AA title, won the regular-season matchup against Lincoln, defeating the Cougars, 5-0, in Shinnston, West Virginia, on May 9.
Lanson Orndorf, who is signed to Charleston, leads the Frankfort offense batting .422 and hit the club’s lone home run.
He’s tied with Blake Jacobs, another Charleston signee, with a team-high 14 doubles.
Jaxon Hare tops the Falcons in RBIs (32), and Jacobs has scored the most runs (35).
Orndorf is Frankfort’s ace sporting a 9-3 record and 0.50 earned-run average with 100 strikeouts in 70 innings pitched.
Hare (7-1, 1.81 ERA, 42 2/3 IP), Rhett Sensabaugh (4-3, 3.00 ERA, 37 1/3 IP) and Carson Durst (3-0, 3.50 ERA, 30 IP) are the Falcons’ other top arms.
Lincoln’s leading hitter is Christopher Mazzei with a .385 average. Alex Greene has a team-high five home runs and 34 RBIs.
AJ Bart has been Lincoln’s most consistent arm with a 7-3 record, 3.22 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 50 innings of work.
Lincoln is making its first state tournament appearance since 2009 when it won the Class AA title, the school’s second (2003).
The winner advances to the state semifinals on Thursday against the winner of No. 3 Independence (28-9) and No. 6 Buffalo (21-13). First pitch is 50 minutes after the other semifinal at 5 p.m.