By: Braeden Jones
FLORENCE, KY – After the Joliet Slammers (29-38) got an early pair of homers, the Florence Y’alls (37-30) scored six runs in one inning to take and hold on to the lead, winning 7-4 on Wednesday.
The Slammers would be the first to strike in the top of the 2nd inning. Jackson Beaman came up to the plate with no one on base, but his swing remained powerful. He hit a solo homer to start the scoring for Joliet, putting them up 1-0.
The Slammers would find more success once the top of the 3rd rolled around. After having his first at-bat delayed at the end of the top of the 2nd inning, Brandon Heidal returned to lead off the top of the 3rd with a hit that went just deep enough to get over the right field wall. Joliet was now at a 2-0 advantage.
After being held hitless to Slammer’s pitcher Gunnar Kines for the first three innings of play, the Y’alls finally found some base hits in the bottom of the 4th inning. Zade Richardson got the first hit of the day and it was a big one for a triple. He would quickly score when Brendan Bobo got an RBI double to put the first score on the board for Florence. The Y’alls found a bit of hitting but still found themselves behind at 2-1.
The Slammers would extend their lead in the top of the 7th inning. Tyler Cerny would lead off this half-inning with a double, and an RBI single from Heidal would score him. Heidal would score off a wild pitch later on, giving Joliet the 4-1 lead.
The Y’alls didn’t have too much go right for them all game, but that all changed in the bottom of the 7th inning. Richardson would get a single to start, followed by a double from Bobo. Milo Rushford would clean up the bases with a 2-RBI double, scoring Richardson and Bobo. After a walk on Dillon Baker and Marcus Brodil loaded the bases, Brett Blomquist would score Rushford with a single and keep the bases loaded. Another runner would soon score when a walk on Hank Zeisler allowed Baker to step on home plate. Florence had one more scoring play this half-inning, with Richardson returning for his second appearance in the bottom of the 7th to hit a 2-RBI single to score Brodil and Blomquist. After 12 batters came up to total five hits and four walks, the Y’alls scored six to take a 7-4 lead.
That was all the scoring that the game would see, meaning Florence had another comeback victory at home, needing just one inning to score most of their runs to win 7-4.
Now losing two consecutive leads to eventually lose by three runs, the Slammers are still aiming for win 30 on the season on Thursday against the Y’alls. Florence has its sights on a series sweep against Joliet when they conclude this series on Thursday at Thomas More Stadium.
