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FL Joliet Slammers

Slammers Comeback Falls Short in Florence

May 15, 2015 - Frontier League (FL)
Joliet Slammers News Release


Florence, KY - Third-baseman Chris Serritella blasts two home runs, but the Slammers comeback bid falls short in Florence, as Joliet drops to the Freedom 6-5. The Slammers fall to 0-2 and the Freedom move to 2-0.

The Freedom struck first with a long ball in the second against pitcher Jordan Guth. LF Cody Bishop lifted a fastball into left field that carried in the muggy air, sailing over the fence. His first home run of the year, and the first given up by a Slammers starter, put Florence up 1-0 after two innings.

The Slammers responded with a pair of runs in the third inning against pitcher Casey Henn. CF Charlie White led off the first inning with a single and quickly stole second with RF Nate Roberts at the plate. Roberts walked and was moved to second by a ground ball to the right side of the infield by 1B Chris Serritella while White reached third on the play. Garza drove in White with a ground ball to third and Roberts came around to score on error by 2B Daniel Fraga, giving the Slammers a 2-1 lead.

But the Freedom would come back with a pair of scores in the bottom of the inning. Jake Luce reached with a two-out single and while he was attempting to steal second, C Jack Cleary's throw bounced off his helmet into right field. Luce moved to third with 1B Sam Eberle at the plate and scored on an error by 2B Max Casper. With Eberle at first, LF Cody Bishop smacked a ground-rule double to right field, moving Eberle to third. He would later come around to score on a wild pitch, to push the Freedom in front 3-2.

The Freedom piled on three more runs in the fourth inning. 3B Steve Carillo was hit by a pitch, and SS Travis Weaver walked. Fraga scored Carillo and Weaver with a double. Fraga would reach third and come around to score on a sacrifice fly by DH Austin Newell. Florence led 6-2 after four innings.

The Slammers chipped away at the Freedom's four-run lead. Serritella blasted a home in the fifth, the first homer for the Slammers this season. That trimmed the deficit to three runs. The Slammers loaded the bases with nobody out in the seventh, but were only able to scratch out a run on a SS Alfredo Rodriguez sacrifice fly to center, driving in Serritella. That made it a 6-4 game.

Serritella wasn't finished, blasting a solo home run to lead off the ninth inning against pitcher Daniel DeSimone. But clinging to a one run lead, DeSimone retired the next three Slammers to end the game. Guth (0-1) took the loss, allowing four earned runs on five hits in four innings. He also struck out two. Aaron Vaughn tossed three innings of scoreless baseball in relief, and James Woods teamed with Kevin McNorton to shutout the Freedom in the eighth. The Merchants and Manufacturers Bank Player of The Game was Serritella with his three hits, including two home runs.

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