Johnson the hero in Freedom's extra-inning win
September 5, 2009 - Frontier League (FL)
Florence Y'alls News Release
WASHINGTON, PA - Jay Johnson's heroics in the seventh inning did not prove to be enough, so the right-fielder had to do it a second time, clubbing a 3-run homer in the top of the eleventh inning to help give the Florence Freedom a 13-8 win over the Washington Wild Things.
Johnson gave the Freedom their first lead in the seventh with a two out, bases loaded grand slam to make it 8-7 Florence. The veteran finished with four hits and nine RBIs which tied a Frontier League single game record. Entering the night, all five of Johnson's previous home runs were solo blasts.
Florence was left to play catch-up early as Washington jumped out to a 6-0 lead after three innings against Freedom starter Everett Saul. Saul went five and allowed seven runs, six earned on 11 hits after tossing a complete game shutout his last time out against Kalamazoo. Johnson's homer in the seventh took Saul off the hook for the loss.
Leading 8-7 in the bottom of the ninth inning, Jonathan Miller was one out away from his fifteenth save, but Grant Psomas sent the game to extras with a solo blast off the scoreboard in left-center field. Miller would go on and pitch the tenth and earned the win to improve to 3-3.
Before Miller entered, Demetrius Banks tossed three shutout innings of relief and ran the Freedom's bullpen total to 18 consecutive innings without allowing a run until the Psomas blast in the ninth.
Erold Andrus also homered for the Freedom in the fifth, the solo homer was his ninth of the season and pulled the Freedom to within 6-4.
Justin Edwards was the Wild Thing reliever touched up for all five of the Freedom runs in the eleventh inning. Edwards went 2 2/3 innings in the loss to drop to 4-5.
Washington's Chris Sidick was able to break the Frontier League career hit record with his 459th career base hit in the bottom of the first inning, passing Gateway's Mike Breyman set just last year.
With the victory, Florence kept the chance of reaching the 50 win plateau alive. The club will enter Sunday afternoon's season finale against the Wild Things at 49-46. Game time is scheduled for 2:05 p.m. Listen to the game live on Classic Country 106.7 FM WNKR or www.1067WNKR.com.
Frontier League Stories from September 5, 2009
- Crushers Extra Inning win Earns them Playoff Birth - Midwest Sliders of Ypsilanti
- Rascals earn West Division title - River City Rascals
- Johnson the hero in Freedom's extra-inning win - Florence Y'alls
- Wild Things Lose; Chris Sidick Sets Record - Washington Wild Things
- âHawks can't spoil Windy City's playoff hopes - Rockford RiverHawks
- Beach Bums momentarily stall Kalamazoo division title hopes - Traverse City Beach Bums
- Stout tosses gem as Bolts edge closer to postseason - Windy City ThunderBolts
- Grizzlies, Otters Second Game Postponed - Gateway Grizzlies
- Otters and Grizzlies Rained Out - Evansville Otters
- Durand tosses gem for 10th win - Rockford RiverHawks
- Durand tosses gem for 10th win - Rockford RiverHawks
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