HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — For Frankfort to return to the state championship game for a third straight season, it must get past a familiar state tournament rival.
The second-seeded Falcons (25-7) take on third-seeded Independence (29-9) in the Class AA semifinals Thursday — a rematch of the 2024 AA state final the Falcons won 8-0, their first championship since 1988.
First pitch at Marshall University’s Jack Cook Field is slated for 50 minutes after the conclusion of the other semifinal between No. 1 seed Wheeling Central (28-5) and No. 4 Logan (22-12) at 5 p.m.
“Very good hitting baseball team,” Frankfort manager Matt Miller said of the Patriots. “They’re fighters. … (Monday) they faced a pretty good pitcher, shut them down early, but when they got their opportunities, they capitalized on them.
“They’ve hit the ball hard all season, so we need to keep them at bay offensively and we need to score some runs Thursday.”
Frankfort advanced to the Final Four with a 6-1 win over Lincoln in the quarterfinals Monday. Independence needed extra innings to outlast Buffalo, 4-3, in eight frames at the same stage.
Lanson Orndorf, a Charleston signee, is the lone Frankfort arm unavailable after expending 107 pitches in a complete-game gem Monday. The right-hander allowed a run on four hits in seven innings.
Independence’s Brady Williams went over 100 pitches in the quarters.
The Patriots will likely start right-hander Chance Moore, who has a 9-2 record, 2.40 ERA and 82 strikeouts in 58 1/3 innings pitched.
Left-handed Marshall commit Degan Williams, who pitched Monday but made it through three innings on just 44 pitches to preserve his eligibility for Thursday, is an option out of the bullpen.
Independence had to come back twice to beat Buffalo, first erasing a 2-0 deficit entering the bottom of the seventh to force extras and overcoming a 3-2 hole in the eighth.
Andrew Coalson, who drove in the tying run in the seventh on a fielders choice, walked it off with a single to center an inning later.
“They’re fighters,” Miller said. “As you watched (Monday), they will battle the whole game.”
Frankfort right-hander Jaxon Hare is the probable starting pitcher, posting a 7-1 record, 1.81 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 42 2/3 innings.
The Falcons will also have right-handers Rhett Sensabaugh (3.00 ERA, 37 1/3 IP) and Carson Durst (3.50 ERA, 30 IP) and left-hander Braeden Laffey (4.11 ERA, 15 1/3 IP) available out of the bullpen.
“Really big for us,” Miller said of the pitching depth, “because (Monday), I didn’t have any thoughts at 75 (pitches). I could have taken (Orndorf) out at 75. He would have been available. Thursday wasn’t even a thought because we know we have four more good pitchers right behind him.
“You can ride them as long as you need to get the win.”
Frankfort, which comes in riding a 10-game winning streak, averages 7.4 runs and allows 2.7 per game compared to 9.6 runs for and 4.9 against by Independence.
The Falcons have seven .300 or better hitters in Orndorf (.413), Charleston signee Blake Jacobs (.398), Hare (.376), Jesus Perdew (.347), Cole Shanholtz (.329), Gunnar Bradshaw (.320) and Laffey (.309).
Hare leads Frankfort with 32 RBIs and Jacobs has scored a team-high 36 runs.
Seven Independence players bat .396 or better, led by Micah Cuthbert’s .477 mark. Brady Williams, a .461 hitter, has seven homers, 46 ribbies and 51 runs — all Patriot-best marks.
The winner advances to the championship game on Saturday at Marshall, scheduled for 50 minutes after the 10 a.m. Class A final.
Frankfort is looking for its second championship in three years and to avenge a loss in last year’s Class AAA championship game defeat.
“We need to do a better job of situational hitting,” Miller said of the key to victory Thursday. “I really think whoever comes out and hits the ball to their potential will win.”