Freedom Drop Stunner in Walk off Fashion
Published on July 21, 2018 under Frontier League (FL)
Florence Y'alls News Release
JOLIET, Il - For the first time in 2018, the Florence Freedom, presented by Titan Mechanical Solutions, failed to convert a save in a heart-stopping, 8-7, loss to the Joliet Slammers on Saturday at Joliet Route 66 Stadium.
With All-Star closer, Johnathon Tripp (3-2) on the mound to protect a, 7-6, Florence (29-29) lead, Danny Zardon lined a single to left-center with one out to put the tying run on base for Joliet (34-25). Trenton Hill followed with an RBI-triple that was nearly squeezed on a sliding play in left by Keivan Berges, but the ball bounced away and rolled in to the corner as the Slammers tied the game at 7. Tripp was able to coax Trey Fulton into a pop-out for the second out of the inning, before intentionally walking two batters to face Travis Bolin with the bases loaded. Bolin ended the game by legging out an infield single as the Slammers stormed back to win it, 8-7. The blown save was the first of the season for Tripp, who was a perfect six for six on the season. Isaac Sanchez (3-0) tallied the win in relief, tossing a three-up three-down top half of the ninth.
The Freedom took the game's first lead, jumping in front of Joliet on the strength of a five-run first inning. After back-to-back singles by Caleb Lopes and Jordan Brower, Skyler Ewing smashed his team-leading eighth home run of the season to put Florence in front, 3-0. Not done scoring, Xavier Turner and Keivan Berges produced runners at second and third with a single and double respectively, bringing up Jacob Wark who scored them both with a two-run single, helping the Freedom move in front, 5-0.
Joliet responded with three runs in their first at-bat off Freedom starter Jordan Kraus. Hill plated the first run of the frame with the third of three-straight Slammers singles to cut the deficit to four. After Fulton walked, Justin Garcia made it five batters to reach in a row with an RBI-one bagger of his own. With the bases loaded, Ridge Hoopii-Haslam was hit by a pitch to plate the third and final run of a 39 minute first inning. The Slammers would take their first lead of the game in the bottom of the second, scoring three more runs off Kraus. Zardon brought the first run across with a fielder's choice, before Garcia and Hoopii-Haslam made it two-RBI nights respectively, with a single and double in succession, pushing the home team in front, 6-5.
Jacob Wark would tie the game at six to lead-off the Freedom half of the fourth, muscling up for his sixth long-ball of the season. Turner gave Florence the lead again later in the frame, following a Lopes double with his second single of the game as the Freedom took a 7-6, edge after four and a half innings.
Kraus would settle in after the rocky start, facing one over the minimum through his final three innings of work. The right-hander was in line for the win when he departed after five innings, but wound up swalloing his fourth no-decision of the season.
The Slammers squandered a few chances to even the score in the sixth and eighth innings, as Florence relievers Eric Gleese and Jake Haberer danced out of trouble in thrilling fashion. In the sixth, London Lindley tried to score on a Gleese wild pitch that bounced only a few feet away from Ewing, but wound up getting tagged out by the catcher at the plate. The tying run would reach third base again with one out in the eighth off Haberer, but the power right-hander struck out the last two men he faced to preserve the Florence lead.
These two teams will take the field in a day game rubber match at Joliet Route 66 Stadium on Sunday. RHP Chuck Weaver will toe the slab for Florence, with righty Liam O'Sullivan countering for Joliet. First pitch is slated for 1:05 CT in Joliet, IL.
The Florence Freedom are members of the Independent Frontier League and play all home games at UC Health Stadium located at 7950 Freedom Way in Florence, KY. The Freedom can be found online at florencefreedom.com, or by phone at (859) 594-4487.
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