The Florence Y’alls have been relegated to the spoiler role in the final week of the Frontier League season and did it well knocking the Joliet (Illinois) Slammers out of the Frontier League playoffs.
Florence (38-54 overall) at home at Thomas More Stadium prevailed with a 4-3 win Thursday.
“I think we played well together. We played free and loose,” said Brian White, Florence manager. “We’re still looking to play hard and finish the year strong.”
Joliet fell to fifth-place in the Frontier League West Division standings. Washington (Pennsylvania) clinched the division crown with Schaumburg (Illinois) and Evansville in second and third for the final two playoff spots. The Lake Erie Crushers are one and a half games out of the third spot.
All four Y’alls runs came unearned in the bottom of the fourth off two Joliet errors. With one out, shortstop Alberti Chavez made it to third on a Joliet throwing error and scored when first baseman Brennan Price grounded out to second to put Florence up 1-0.
After left fielder Ray Zuberer doubled, third baseman Bryant Flete singled him home. Second baseman Ethan Stern then doubled home before he took third on a wild pitch and scored on the other Joliet error.
“Chavez hustled all the way to third on the error and it opened up the floodgates a bit,” White said. “The guys behind him put some barrel on the ball. We were able to put pressure on the defense and make them make plays. We were able to take advantage of that.”
Florence starting pitcher Edgar Martinez (6-5) pitched into the seventh inning striking out seven, walking none and allowing eight hits and three earned runs. Joliet chased Martinez with one out when second baseman Matt McGarry belted a three-run home run.
“I warmed up in the bullpen with the mentality to get outs with three different pitches,” Martinez said. “My fastball and change-ups were what I mostly used. They were working really well.”
The Florence bullpen finished the job. Karl Craigie pitched the last two outs in the seventh inning striking out one and walking one. Kent Klyman pitched a scoreless eighth inning striking out two before Joe Dougherty pitched the ninth inning earning his 10th save this year.
Dougherty did have to leave a runner stranded at third to end the game. Second baseman Matt McGarry singled to lead off that inning then stole second with one out and moved to third on a ground out. But Dougherty coaxed center fielder Kyle Jacobsen into grounding out to shortstop to end the game.
Joliet outhit Florence, 9-8. Zuberer led the Y’alls going 3 for 4 with two doubles and scored once. Flete went 2 for 4 with one RBI and scored once. Stern added a double.
McGarry and Ware both went 2 for 4 to lead Joliet. Shortstop Tyler Depreta-Johnson added a double.
Spencer Johnston (5-3) took the loss for Joliet starting and pitching six innings. He struck out four and walked one to go with seven hits. Chandler Brierley pitched the seventh and Tanner Kiest pitched the seventh walking one.
Florence finishes the season with a three-game series against the Evansville Otters (50-42). The first game is Friday at 7:03 p.m. at Thomas More Stadium.
