The Boll Weevils’ 19-year old righthander turned in a very grown-up performance as Piedmont tightened its psychological grip on rival Hickory.

“He took it, he grabbed it, he wanted it all for himself,” manager Greg Legg said after Franco led the Weevils to a 5-2 South Atlantic League victory. “A lot of good pitchers will do that. Even when we were down, he got very determined. He wanted this, he went and got it and he ran with it.”

Franco ran for eight innings as first-place Piedmont (53-26) upped its second-half record to 6-2. He was both a laborer and a craftsman, scattering four hits and fanning nine batters as the Weevils topped Hickory for the 10th time in 12 games this season.

“When I first came up here, I wasn’t doing what they wanted me to do,” teammate Jorge Padilla interpreted for Franco. “I had to get smarter.”

A good example of Franco’s growth between the ears came after he surrendered Jay Langston’s two-run homer in the top of the fourth inning. After throwing a minor fit in the dugout, he composed himself and retired and 14 of the last 15 hitters he faced, including 11 straight.

“He didn’t get down. He hung in there,” catcher Russ Jacobson reported. “He just kept pitching, kept hitting his spots and got stronger as the game went on.”

Using two distinct fastballs and a mesmerizing curve, Franco (5-3) was at his best while facing Hickory’s lineup for the third time. He totaled six strikeouts in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, when the Crawdads (39-40, 3-5) failed to hit a ball out of the infield.

“That’s not easy to do,” said Legg. “By the third time through the order they’ve seen what you’ve got and had a chance to time you.”

Piedmont, meanwhile, endured its own offensive struggle against Hickory starter Jose Lopez, a middle-inning reliever forced into active duty when all-star Bobby Bradley was scratched with a sore arm. The Weevils did most of their damage agaist lefty Michael Johnston, who entered with a 2-1 lead in the fifth and quickly retired Brian Hitchcox and Aaron Merhoff.

Teammate Julio Collazo ignited Piedmont’s decisive four-run rally with a two-out bloop single into shallow left field. He advanced to second on a balk and scored the tying run when Jay Sitzman cued a slow-moving, ground-ball single to right.

“I was hoping if it got deep enough in the hole, I’d have a chance to beat it out,” said Sitzman. “But the second baseman never got there and it slipped through.”

Piedmont took command two batters later when Marlon Byrd pulled a first-pitch change-up over the Carolina Blonde sign in left for a three-run homer.

“(Johnston) knew I was looking for a fastball in,” said Byrd, who now has 13 home runs and a league-leading 64 RBIs. “So a low change-up in that spot is a good pitcher’s pitch. I just stayed back, kept my hands back and got lucky.”

Indeed, the Weevils have had their share of breaks this season. They got a huge one in the top of the eighth after Hickory’s Devi Perez stroked a leadoff single and moved to second on a groundout. Teammate Jeremy Harts then bounced a ball toward second-baseman Hitchcox, who misplayed the short-hop for an apparent error. Instead, the ball skidded toward first-baseman Espy, who stretched his elastic frame and gathered it for a 4-3 putout.

“Sometimes when things are going good, you get breaks like that,” Espy smiled afterward. “You almost make your own breaks. But in the long haul, the team that deserves to win is going to win.”