FL Florence Y'alls

Late Runs Push Florence Past Gateway

June 5, 2021 - Frontier League (FL)
Florence Y'alls News Release


SAUGET, IL - Florence scored two go-ahead runs in the top of the ninth inning - all without a single hit - to get the Y'alls back in the win column with a 6-4 victory over the Gateway Grizzlies Saturday night at GCS Credit Union Ballpark.

Florence (8-2) had lost its previous two games, including game one of the series yesterday. The loss snaps Gateway's two-game winning streak.

The ninth inning started with a Jordan Brower walk against relief pitcher Justin Watts. Rodney Tennie pinch hit for Jackson Prichard and put a hard bunt down on the third base line, but third baseman Jose Rosario's throw sailed to second allowing both runners to reach. Next batter, Will Baker, put down a sacrifice bunt of his own to advance the runners. With Luis Pintor at the plate, a ball popped out of the mitt of catcher Chase Vallot, and Brower scored on a great read on the passed ball. Pintor, with Tennie now at third, then hit a grounder to short. Justin Jones threw home, but the tag was late and Tennie was safe.

Johnathon Tripp entered in the bottom of the ninth inning and struck out one batter as part of the inning to earn his third save of the season. Joe Dougherty earns the win for the Y'alls thanks to his clean eighth inning.

Florence came out of the gates hot, scoring a combined four runs in the first two innings. In the first, Pintor and Chad Sedio hit back-to-back doubles with Sedio getting the RBI knock. The Y'alls used the longball in the second frame. Taylor Bryant hit a solo home run to start the inning, and after a Brower single, Prichard unloaded on a first-pitch for a dinger to left field.

Florence starter Jonaiker Villalobos was great for Florence until the fifth inning when he allowed his only three runs. The lefty did not allow a hit until the fourth inning, ultimately allowing five hits overall. He walked two and struck out three. The three runs in the fifth came on a two-RBI triple for Abdiel Diaz and an RBI double just one batter later off the bat of Nick Rotola.

That made the score 4-3, and Gateway wasted no time adjusting to the Florence bullpen. Evy Ruibal took over for Villalobos in the sixth, and he was immediately greeted with a game-tying home run for Axel Johnson. Last night, it was Johnson's home run in the bottom of the eighth inning that ultimately gave Gateway the 5-2 victory.

Gateway (4-5) starting pitcher, Carlos Vega, lasted five 1/3 innings and surrendered seven hits and the four runs. He fanned six and at one point retired 10 Y'alls hitters in a row. Johnson and Diaz each recorded two hits apiece for the Grizzlies, while Pintor, Prichard, and Trevor Craport each had a multi-hit game for Florence.

Both teams have a chance to even the series tomorrow, Sunday, June 6 before the Monday off day. Kevin Hahn gets the start for the Y'alls in the finale with first pitch coming at 5:45 PM CT / 6:45 PM ET.

Check out the Florence Y'alls Statistics



Frontier League Stories from June 5, 2021


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