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FL Joliet Slammers

Slammers Win Big over the Freedom

July 15, 2016 - Frontier League (FL)
Joliet Slammers News Release


JOLIET, IL- The Joliet Slammers presented by ATI Physical Therapy lost five games in a row heading into the All-Star break. The break is what the Slammers needed as they came out on top 16-3 over the Florence Freedom Friday, July 15.

Four of the five losses the Slammers suffered were by one run. Joliet found itself in a hole in the first inning after Florence scored a pair of runs, but the Slammers would go on to score 15 straight runs to secure the win.

Joliet played 13 straight games before the All-Star break.

"We had that 13 game stretch before the break and I think it kind of wore on us a little bit," Carter Bell said. "This couldn't have come any sooner for us."

The Slammers put one run across the plate in the second to cut the Freedom's lead to one run, but from then on it was all Slammers. Joliet had 20 hits in the game to get the win.

"That's huge," Bell said. "Last week our pitchers came through for us and offensively we didn't really do anything for them. It was nice to come out after the break, and come out swinging. We didn't let up either."

Sikes Orvis got the Slammers on the board with an RBI single in the second inning in his first at bat at Silver Cross Field.

While the Slammers had contribution up and down the order, Bell and Marc Flores led the way for the Slammers by driving in four runs each. Bell went 3-3 in the game. Bell leads the Frontier League with 48 RBIs. Flores was 3-4 in the game.

Flores launched a three-run home run in the eighth inning to make it 16-3.

Charlie White, Marc Flores, Jake Gronsky and Joe Staley each drove in at least one run as well. White, Flores, Bell, Alfredo Rodriguez, Spencer Medick and Sean Townsley were all All-Stars this year. Coach Jeff Isom was the coach of the East Division.

"It was definitely an honor to represent Joliet," Bell said. "Those things don't come every year and they're not guaranteed."

Because of the Slammers' recent losing streak, they lost sole possession of first place and shared it with the Washington Wild Things. Washington lost Friday night and dropped a game back to the Slammers.

A great defensive play by the Slammers in the third ended the inning and held the Freedom to just one run in the inning, setting up the four-run third for the Slammers.

Austin Newell hit a line drive to right field and Phil Bates dove for it but could not come up with it. White backed him up, picked up the ball and threw it to Bell where Bell fired it to third to get Newell going for a triple. Taylor Oldham scored on the play.

The Slammers scored four runs in both the third and the fourth to give them a lead that was more than enough for Liam O'Sullivan to pitch with.

O'Sullivan pitched six strong innings, allowing just two earned runs on seven hits to earn his sixth win of the season and remain undefeated. He is third in the Frontier League for wins. O'Sullivan struck out six batters in the game as well.

Friday's Merchants and Manufacturers Player of the Game was Carter Bell for going 3-3 with four RBIs

The Slammers and Freedom will be back Saturday, July 16 to play game two of the series at 7:05 p.m.

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