This series saw all three games decided by one run and the Florence Y’alls (17-13) lost the two of them to see their series win streak end at four on the road against the Sussex County Miners (19-10).
Florence fell back to fourth place in the Frontier League West Division standings just one game behind the third-place Evansville Otters (18-12). The East Divison leading Miners are tied with the West Division leaders Gateway Grizzlies and Schaumburg Boomers for the best record in the league.
“The guys are in good spirits,” said Chad Rhoades, Florence Manager. “We felt we were in both (losses). We felt we could beat them. We didn’t have any lapse in that. We had guys on threatening every inning. It was really about just stringing together those big knocks. I thought we hit the ball hard all series. Sometimes it goes your way. Sometimes it doesn’t. That’s just baseball.”
Florence won its fourth straight series opener holding off Sussex County, 6-5 on Tuesday. The Miners put runners on second and third with two out in the bottom of the ninth. But Kent Klyman got shortstop Willie Escala to ground out to shortstop Jeremiah Burks to end the game and record his second save of the year.
The Y’alls scored four runs in the top of the fourth and made the lead stand, scoring two unearned runs off three Sussex County errors while allowing no unearned runs off one error. Bobby Brabrand (2-2) pitched six innings to earn the win for Florence, striking out five and walking three with Carter Poiry coming on in relief, pitching into the eighth inning striking out two and walking two. Klyman struck out one.
“We’ve been throwing it well and I think we’re starting to come into our own just knowing our roles,” Poiry said. “The bullpen has a good mindset. The goal is to put up zero’s no matter if its strikeouts, fly balls or pop-ups. We’re all at the point of the season where we’ve all been in tough situations. You have to build off them.”
Sussex County outhit Florence, 10-7. Center fielder Cole Brannen led the way for the Y’alls going 2-for-4. Designated hitter Brennan Price hit a solo home run in the top of the fifth. Price and left fielder Marcos Castillo drove in two each.
Excessive rain pushed Wednesday’s game to Thursday. Doubleheader games are just seven innings compared to nine on regular days.
Florence dropped the afternoon game, 4-3 in the final at-bat when third baseman Abraham Mow singled in Escala with one out off Sean Hughes (0-1). Escala walked to open the inning and moved to second on a ground out.
“They run the bases well and their bullpen is good,” Rhoades said. “As far as their starters go, they pitched backwards. We adapted really well. We took some pitches we needed to. We had some good counts, put on some good swings and hit balls right at guys. I thought our guys did really well working those starters. I think they will end up winning the East. They really work on their defense. They do the little things – move runners over. But we know we can beat them, especially if it comes to us and them at the end.”
Florence outhit Sussex County, 8-3 and scored two unearned runs off two errors. Second baseman Craig Massey went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and an RBI and right fielder Ray Zuberer went 2-for-4. Brannen drove in two.
Nathan Florence pitched four innings for the Y’alls, striking out seven and walking six before Michael Kirian pitched the fifth and sixth, striking out two. First baseman Gavin Stupenski hit a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth off Kirian to tie the game 3-3.
The Y’alls lost the second game of the doubleheader, 3-2, also in the bottom of the seventh. With two out, Sussex County second baseman Anthony Gomez hit a walk-off home run off Florence starter Edgar Martinez (3-2). Martinez struck out 11 and walked none in the complete game.
Florence committed the game’s lone error. But Sussex County scored an unearned run off it and it ended up being the difference in the game.
Both teams had five hits. Zuberer tied the game with a two-run home run in the top of the sixth with no outs.
“(Sussex County starting pitcher Cole Davis) threw a change-up right to my barrel,” Zuberer said. “I was sitting on it the whole way. He left it hanging and I just put a good swing on it.”
Florence completes its six-game road swing with a three-game series at the Tri-City ValleyCats starting Friday at 6:30 p.m. The Y’alls return home Tuesday for a series against Gateway.