Y'ALLS BATS SURGE IN SERIES OPENING WIN
FLORENCE, KY – The Florence Y'alls (37-54), presented by Towne Properties, jumped ahead early and used a dynamic offensive performance to thunder past the Schaumburg Boomers (52-38) by a score of 12-3 to begin the final series at Thomas More Stadium this season. Facing the Boomers for the third and final time this season, Florence wasted no time in jumpstarting its offense. In the first inning, designated hitter Brennan Price drew a leadoff walk before first baseman Craig Massey singled. A balk moved both runners into scoring position before an RBI groundout from center fielder Ray Zuberer and a two-out RBI single from right fielder Hank Zeisler gave Florence a 2-0 lead in its opening inning. Schaumburg answered with a run in the second inning when right fielder Zach Huffins hit a two-out RBI double to score designated hitter Blake Berry, but Florence kicked off a long stretch of unanswered offense in the third. Third baseman Brian Fuentes led off the third inning with a solo home run off of Schaumburg starter Luis Perez (5.0 IP, 11 H, 7 ER, 4 BB, 5 K). A Ray Zuberer walk and a double from second baseman Harrison DiNicola placed two aboard for catcher Nick Wimmers, who laced an RBI single to put Florence ahead 5-1. The Y'alls plated two more runs in the fifth when shortstop Ed Johnson doubled to score Hank Zeisler, then another when Harrison DiNicola singled and eventually scored from third base on a wild pitch. In the sixth, Florence kept the pressure on with a trio of runs to build a 10-1 cushion. Schaumburg mounted some resistance in the seventh when Blake Berry doubled to lead off the inning before scoring on an RBI triple from center fielder Brett Milazzo. Zach Huffins then singled home Milazzo to make it 10-3, but Florence righthander Bobby Brabrand (7.0 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K) clamped down to finish off a quality start and eventual winning effort.
The New York Boulders lost to the Quebec Capitales on Tuesday, 3-2, falling just shy of a potential comeback. Joe DeLuca and Giovanni Garbella hit back-to-back home runs in the eighth inning to pull within one run, but the Boulders were unable to get another run across the plate. Austin Dennis recorded two hits for New York. Chris Kwitzer and Matt McDermott also had hits in the loss. Brandon Backman, who was named the Frontier League Pitcher of the Week earlier in the day, took the loss after tossing 5 2/3 innings and allowing one earned run. Backman struck out seven batters. Quebec scratched together runs in the fourth, sixth and seventh innings. Former Yankees first baseman Greg Bird drove in the eventual game-winning run on an RBI single. Ruben Ramirez earned the win for Quebec after tossing seven innings of three-hit, scoreless baseball. Despite the loss, New York (52-38) did not lose any ground in its bid for a spot in the Frontier League playoffs. The Tri-City ValleyCats (53-37) lost their game against the Sussex County Miners, keeping the Boulders one game back of their northern New York does for the final playoff spot.
WASHINGTON, Pa. (August 29) – The Washington Wild Things took the opener of the series against Joliet, 9-5, in a game that saw the Wild Things fall behind in the first before scoring eight runs in the third and fourth innings combined en route to their 44th win of the season. Joliet scored two on a double by Tommy Stevenson in the first inning and then the offenses were held in check until the bottom of the third. In that inning, Washington got an RBI triple from Carson Clowers, his first triple of the season, to make it 2-1 before tying the game when Clowers scored on a wild pitch. Tommy Caufield came up with Caleb McNeely aboard and hit an opposite-field, two-run homer, his third of the year, which gave Washington a 4-2 lead. A few batters later Andrew Czech delivered an opposite-field home run, his 20th of the year, making it 5-2. Czech getting to 20 home runs signaled history for Washington, as he joined Anthony Brocato (26) in the 20-plus homer department this season. It's the second time in franchise history Wild Things' teammates have both hit 20 or more homers in a season and Czech becomes the sixth Wild Thing to reach the mark in team history. In 2009, Grant Psomas hit 24 and Frontier League Hall of Fame Jacob Dempsey smashed a single-season-best 31 for the club. The offensive onslaught for Washington continued with a three-run fourth inning, as Caleb McNeely and Brocato had run-scoring hits to cap off the frame after a passed ball scored the first of three tallies. The visiting Slammers grabbed three in the fifth against winning pitcher Hayden Shenefield, who worked 5.2 innings and allowed five runs. He was an out from a quality start in the victorious effort. He was relieved by Justin Showalter, who recorded the final out of the frame, but the hit he allowed plated the back two of the three runs for Joliet in the frame. Arrison Perez then worked two scoreless, retiring all six batters he faced before Lukas Young set down the side in order in the ninth to close the game.
Ottawa, ON - Opening their final home series of the season, the Ottawa Titans (47-44) avoided a late Trois-Rivières Aigles (36-54) comeback, taking Tuesday's series opener 9-8. It did not start pretty for the home side, seeing Carlos Sano (win, 5-4) face eight batters in the opening half-inning, allowing three runs on four hits. An RBI ground ball from Dalton Combs opened the scoring before doubles from Brandon Dadson and Richardo Sanchez added to the early Aigles lead. The early deficit did not phase the Titans, as they sent eight of their own to the plate against Braedan Alleman (loss, 0-4) in the bottom of the first, scoring four times on just two hits to take the lead. After the bases loaded up, Jake Sanford's walk put the Titans on the board. Later, an RBI single from Joey Terdoslavich, a sac fly from Jackie Urbaez, and an error put the Titans up 4-3 after one. Both starters settled in, seeing the game stay close until the bottom of the fifth. Jackie Urbaez and Jamey Smart each added to the lead before AJ Wright's two-run single off reliever Jacob Kush put the Titans up 8-3. Carlos Sano exited after five and a third, seeing a pair more cross the plate in the sixth inning to end his night. The right-hander allowed five runs (four earned) on six hits, walked three, and punched out three for his first win in the nation's capital. After scoring two against Sano to knock him out of the game in the sixth, the Aigles ended up adding two more against Chris Burica to make it a one-run game once again. A sac fly from Jackie Urbaez in the sixth pushed the Titans across the finish line, scoring the eventual winning run. With two innings of one-run ball from Grant Larson, right-hander Erasmo Pinales (save, 6) locked things down in the ninth to secure the win. AJ Wright went 4-for-4 with a walk and an RBI, extending his hit streak to 12 games. Jason Dicochea, Joey Terdoslavich, Taylor Wright, Jackie Urbaez, and Austin Davis all recorded two-hit performances. Also, the Titans set a new franchise record with their 31st home victory of the season.
TROY, NY - The Tri-City ValleyCats (53-37) were defeated 8-2 by the Sussex County Miners (50-40) on Tuesday at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium after the defense faltered in the seventh. Despite the loss, since the Québec Capitales won 3-2 over the New York Boulders on Tuesday, the 'Cats magic number to clinch their first playoff berth since 2018 is down to five. Sussex County opened the scoring in the second. Garrison Bryant walked Juan Santana. Gavin Stupienski singled, and Santana went to second. Jason Agresti found the outfield grass with a single to plate Santana, and provide the Miners with a 1-0 lead. Tri-City took the lead in the second. Tanner Smith singled off Mark Moclair. Connor Bagnieski reached on an error from Gavin Stupienski, and Smith went to second. Pavin Parks tied the game with an RBI single, and Bagnieski went to third. Cito Culver drove in Bagnieski with a single to provide the ValleyCats with a 2-1 advantage. Sussex County tied the game in the sixth. Caden O'Brien allowed back-to-back singles to Willie Escala and Oraj Anu. Escala stole third, and came around on a Stupienski single to knot the game at 2-2. Bryant received a no-decision. He hurled five frames, yielding one run on four hits, walking one, and striking out three. Moclair was handed a no-decision. He pitched 5.2 innings, giving up two unearned runs on seven hits, walking four, and striking out five. The Miners pulled ahead in the seventh. Coleman Huntley surrendered a leadoff double to Evan Giordano. Jawaun Harris then walked, and Mateo laid down a bunt single. Huntley threw the ball away trying to nab the lead runner at third, which allowed Giordano and Harris to score. Afterward, Escala laid down a bunt, and Huntley made an errant throw to first, so Mateo scored and Escala went to second. Anu had an RBI knock before Stupienski had another single. Stupienski and Anu went to second and third, respectively, on a wild pitch. Agresti walked, and Tyler Jeans entered the fray. Johnny Hipsman reached on an error from Juan Kelly, and everyone advanced 90 feet. Giordano reached on an RBI fielder's choice to make it an 8-2 affair. Jose Ledesma, Jr. (5-8) earned the win. He went 3.1 scoreless innings, allowing no hits or walks, and did not record a strikeout. Huntley (1-2) received the loss. He tossed an inning, yielding six runs, two earned on four hits, walking one, and striking out one.
Sauget, IL (August 29, 2023) – The Gateway Grizzlies got another stellar performance from Lukas Veinbergs (9-3), with the right-hander shutting out the Evansville Otters on six hits with nine strikeouts while the offense put up a consistent effort in a 9-0 victory at Grizzlies Ballpark on Tuesday night. The Grizzlies scored in every turn at bat they took except in the bottom of the fifth, starting in the first inning, when Jairus Richards and Eric Rivera reached on back-to-back leadoff singles against Evansville right-hander Zach Smith (6-9). Richards and Rivera then executed a double-steal, with the former tying the Frontier League record with his 71st stolen base of the season, before Cole Brannenmade the score 1-0 with a sacrifice fly. Andrew Penner then collected a two-out RBI single to make it a 2-0 game. Gateway would keep on scoring all night- Richards hit a solo home run in the second inning to make it 3-0, and D.J. Stewart hit a two-out RBI single in the third inning for a 4-0 advantage. Richards and Clint Freeman then both clubbed solo home runs in the fourth inning to chase Smith and increase the lead to 6-0. After a scoreless fifth, the Grizzlies made history in the sixth inning, as Richards walked with one out, went to second on Rivera's single, and then the pair executed another double-steal, giving Richards his 72nd stolen base of the season to set a new Frontier League record. He later scored on a wild pitch by James Krick to make the score 6-0, and the Grizzlies would complete the scoring with a sacrifice fly by Stewart in the seventh inning, and another wild pitch in the eighth for the final 9-0 score. But they only needed one run tonight, as the Otters could not touch Veinbergs, who set a new career-best in innings pitched by finishing what he started, throwing 81 of his 120 pitches for strikes, and walking just one Otters batter against his nine strikeouts for the first nine-inning shutout thrown by a Grizzlies pitcher in almost exactly one year.
CRESTWOOD, IL – The ThunderBolts broke open a tight game with ten runs over the final three innings as they defeated the Lake Erie Crushers 12-2 at Ozinga Field Tuesday night. The Bolts (39-51) took an early lead thanks to RBI singles from Junior Martina and Jake Boone in the bottom of the first inning. That 2-0 lead held all the way into the sixth. Logan Schmitt allowed only one hit over the first six frames. Walks got him in trouble but he pitched out of jams in both the fourth and fifth innings, leaving five Crushers on base. The ThunderBolts pulled away in the sixth when they sent 11 men to the plate and scored six times. Dan Robinson hit a two-run double and both Paul Coumoulos and Boone had run-scoring singles. Micah Yonamine and Bren Spillane each drove in a run on a sacrifice fly. After Lake Erie (36-55) got one back the next inning, the Bolts tacked on three more. Matt Morgan drew a bases loaded walk and Troy Viola and Will Riley scored RBI base hits. Viola drove in another run in the eighth on a sacrifice fly. In the game, nine different ThunderBolts had at least one hit and nine men had at least one RBI. Schmitt (6-4) picked up the win, throwing six shutout innings and striking out seven. Jonaiker Villalobos (2-6) took the loss. He allowed seven runs in 5.1 innings.
