Roy McCoy roy@robconews.com Robertson County News ROUND ROCK — Franklin’s baseball season ended one win short of a state championship, but it did not end short of another reminder of what the Lion program has become. Franklin fell to Paradise 9-0 on Thursday, June 4, in the Class 3A Division II state championship game at Dell Diamond in Round Rock. The Lions closed the year as state runner-up with a 35-3-2 record, returning to the state title game for the second time in three seasons after winning the Class 3A state championship in 2024. Paradise, which finished 38-5, broke open a scoreless game with three runs in the fourth inning before adding six more in the fifth. The Panthers used patient at-bats, timely contact and Franklin mistakes to pull away late. Franklin had chances early. Walker Anderson opened the bottom of the first with a single, then stole second. Tyler LeBouf walked, Dylan Stallones moved both runners over with a sacrifice bunt and AJ Phillips was intentionally walked to load the bases. The Lions could not bring a run across, and that became the theme of the night. Franklin finished with eight hits, one more than Paradise, but left 11 runners on base. Anderson led Franklin at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a stolen base. LeBouf and Cooper Ezzell each had two hits, with LeBouf adding a double. Stallones also singled for the Lions. Paradise senior right-hander Colton Walker was named the championship game MVP after throwing six shutout innings. Walker allowed seven hits, walked three and struck out nine. Kaden Hammonds pitched the seventh to close the game. Paradise was led offensively by Jake Ryan, who went 2-for-4 with four RBIs and a run scored. Carter Mara also had two hits and drove in a run. The Panthers drew nine walks in the win. Stallones started on the mound for Franklin and took the loss, allowing three runs on three hits over four innings. Phillips and Anderson also pitched for the Lions. The championship loss closed a season that had been steady from the opening weeks. Franklin moved through a strong regular season, won the District 19-3A Division II title and went undefeated in district play. The Lions finished 12-0 in district, sweeping series against Thrall, Rogers, Cameron Yoe, Lexington, Rockdale and Little River Academy. Franklin’s season was built on consistency. The Lions opened tournament play with wins over Caldwell, Madisonville, New Waverly and Anderson-Shiro, then kept stacking wins through February and March. Their only early loss came in a one-run game against Abilene Wylie, and the Lions also played ties against Lampasas and Anderson-Shiro before settling into district play. Once district began, Franklin took control. The Lions beat Thrall 6-0 and 4-2, then swept Rogers 8-5 and 7-0. Franklin followed with run-rule wins over Cameron Yoe, beat Lexington twice by a combined 25-4, swept Rockdale and finished district with two wins over Little River Academy. The Lions also picked up late regular-season wins over El Campo, McGregor and East Bernard before turning their attention to the playoffs. Franklin opened the postseason with a sweep of Buffalo, winning 12-0 and 5-0. The Lions followed with another sweep against Scurry-Rosser, taking both games 7-0. In the regional quarterfinals, Franklin beat Wallis Brazos 3-2 and 8-4 to keep the run alive. The toughest test before Round Rock came in the regional finals against Rogers. Franklin dropped the first game 7-3, then responded with an 18-0 win to force a deciding game. In Game 3, the Lions rallied from a 7-0 deficit to beat Rogers 10-9 and advance to the state semifinals. That comeback became one of the defining moments of the season. Down big with the year on the line, Franklin found a way back and punched its ticket to the final four. The Lions carried that momentum into the state semifinal series against Jourdanton at Georgetown East View. Franklin won Game 1 9-0 and finished the sweep with a 6-0 win in Game 2, sending the Lions back to Dell Diamond and into the state championship game. Even after the loss to Paradise, Franklin left Round Rock with several individual honors. Stallones was selected to the Class 3A Division II all-tournament team as a pitcher, Phillips was named at first base, LeBouf was selected at shortstop and Anderson was chosen as the utility player. The final score was not the ending Franklin wanted, but the season still ended on the biggest stage in Texas high school baseball. For a program that has now played for a state title twice in three seasons, the Lions once again showed they belong among the state’s best.