Florence Escapes with First Series Win
May 28, 2025 - Frontier League (FL)
Florence Y'alls News Release
FLORENCE, KY - The Florence Y'alls, presented by Towne Properties, defeated the Gateway Grizzlies with an 11-10 final on Wednesday night. With the win, Florence ensured their first series win of the season.
After six-shutout innings versus Gateway last Thursday, Florence sent out Jonaiker Villalobos to pick up where he left off. The Southpaw did just that cruising through four innings of work with three consecutive 1-2-3 innings and at one point retired 13 Grizzlies in a row. Villalobos finished with five complete innings, allowing just three hits and surrendering one run in the fifth while punching out four.
The Y'alls received three home runs to continue their high-powered offensive showing at the hitter-friendly, Arsenal BG Ballpark. Hank Zeisler's solo shot in the fifth made it back-to-back nights with a homer for the Y'all's Captain. Josh Elvir launched a two-run blast to deep right field for his first hit and first home run as a member of the Florence Y'alls. TJ Reeves capped off the show with his second homer of the season, a two-run blast in the 8th which made it 9-2.
With a 9-2 lead entering the bottom of the ninth, Florence brought in Pedro Alfonseca to close it out. Alfonseca picked up a pitch-clock violation strikeout to start off his inning, but unfortunately, that was the only out he would receive. Gateway brought in seven runs against Alfonsece before he was finally pulled from the game. Carter Hines picked up two strikeouts to end the bleeding and send us to extras with a 9-9 tie.
In the top of the 10th, Florence received a single from Zeisler to move the courtesy runner, Hector Nieves, to third which allowed Craig Massey to drop an RBI sacrifice bunt to put Florence in front 10-9. Zeisler moved to third and later scored on wild pitches from De La Cruz to make it 11-9.
In the bottom of the 10th, Carter Hines punched out the first batter he faced before surrendering an RBI single to Edwin Mateo. After a walk to move the tying run into scoring position, Hines escaped with a phenomenal line drive snag from Nieves and a flyout to left field, to secure his first win of the season.
Florence earns the series win and now will look for the sweep over the Grizzlies when they return tomorrow night. In what might be a rain-filled night, the Y'alls win send LHP Eli Majick to the bump to face Gateway's Lukas Veinbergs. The first pitch is set for 6:30 PM CT.
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