Freedom Drop Heartbreaker to Slammers
Published on July 17, 2016 under Frontier League (FL)
Florence Y'alls News Release
Joliet, Ill. - The Florence Freedom, presented by Titan Mechanical Solutions, fell to Joliet 5-4 in a heartbreaking, extra-innings contest.
After the Slammers (30-23) tied the score in the ninth inning with a pair of runs, Joliet scored a run in the tenth without a hit to steal the victory.
In the tenth, a leadoff walk put Carter Bell on first with nobody out against Zach Wendorf. The next batter laid down a bunt right in front of the plate and Isaac Wenrich tried to take out the lead runner, but his throw skipped into centerfield. After a sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position, Wendorf intentionally walked Sikes Orvis to load the bases. Melvin Rodriguez then delivered the walk-off sacrifice fly, sending Joliet to the victory.
After allowing a home run in the first inning, Jeremy Gooding settled down. He finished his outing with 6 2/3 innings of two-run baseball. He had assists from many teammates during the outing, including a couple of outstanding defensive plays. In the fifth, Henderson ended the inning with a full-extension dive toward the left-field line. Then, with two men on and two away in the sixth, Oldham robbed Sikes Orvis of a base hit by laying out to his right.
Offensively, the Freedom posted a three-spot in the third to take the lead. Travis Weaver was hit by a pitch and scored on a Garrett Vail double. Mason Salazar followed with a single in his first at bat of the season and Daniel Fraga loaded the bases with a walk. The Freedom took the lead on back-to-back sacrifice flies from Taylor Oldham and Austin Newell.
The Slammers rallied in the seventh and threatened to take the lead, but Gooding and Pete Levitt were able to keep the Freedom out in front. With the score now 3-2 and the tying run on third, Weaver fielded a ground ball and fired to third, catching an over-aggressive Phil Bates too far off the bag. Later in the inning, a Marc Flores single put runners on first and third. Levitt came into the game and forced a groundout from Carter Bell, the Frontier League leader in doubles and RBIs, to end the threat.
TJ Bozeman struck out the side in the eighth and Henderson extended the lead with his first long ball of the year in the top of the ninth.
With a 4-2 lead, the Freedom called up on Ethan Gibbons, but a pair of triples and a sacrifice fly plated two runs and sent the game into extras. Joliet took the game on Rodriguez's sacrifice fly in the tenth.
The Freedom will wrap up their three-game set with the Slammers tomorrow as they send Davis Adkins to the hill (4-2, 2.77 ERA). Joliet will counter with Spencer Medick (5-2, 4.42 ERA) and first pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m.
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Frontier League Stories from July 17, 2016
- Lake Erie Crushers D. Gateway, 3-2 - Lake Erie Crushers
- Crushers Edge Grizzlies in Series Finale - Gateway Grizzlies
- Miners Break out Bats to Sweep Washington - Southern Illinois Miners
- Sneed's Quality Start Lifts River City to a Series Win - River City Rascals
- ThunderBolts Capture Series with 8-4 Win - Windy City ThunderBolts
- Bums Comeback to Stun Evansville - Traverse City Beach Bums
- CornBelters Rally But Fall Short at Windy City - Normal CornBelters
- Boomers Fall Short at River City - Schaumburg Boomers
- Freedom Beat Slammers in Late Innings - Florence Y'alls
- Slammers Drop Series Finale to the Freedom - Joliet Slammers
- Gateway D. Lake Erie Crushers, 5-1 - Lake Erie Crushers
- Boomers Take Game Two, Force Rubber Match on Sunday - River City Rascals
- Bums Shocked by Otters in Ninth - Traverse City Beach Bums
- Miners Use Late Rally to Best Wild Things, Clinch Series - Southern Illinois Miners
- Freedom Drop Heartbreaker to Slammers - Florence Y'alls
- Washington Falls to Southern Illinois 4-3 - Washington Wild Things
- Normal's Late Rally Sinks ThunderBolts in 7-3 Loss - Windy City ThunderBolts
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