Game Recap

Y’alls Hang On, Sweep in Wild Series Finale

WASHINGTON, PA – In a back-and-forth game, the Florence Y’alls (7-5) earned a 9-8 win and a series sweep the hard way against the Washington Wild Things (6-6). The Y’alls allowed the Wild Things to storm back from a 5-0 deficit, but came through with clutch hitting late in the game to stave off the comeback.

Washington starter Stephen Knapp struggled all game long and quickly ran into trouble in the first. The righthanded submariner loaded the bases for Y’alls right fielder Ray Zuberer, who smacked a grand slam to right field to make it 4-0. In the second, center fielder Cole Brannen led off the inning with an infield single before designated hitter Brennan Price drove him in with a single to make it 5-0.

Despite the big lead, the Washington offense applied pressure all game long. The Wild Things pecked away versus Y’alls starter Jake McMahill, who allowed a second-inning run on a Harrison Ray sacrifice fly that scored former Y’all Anthony Brocato from third base to make it 5-1. In the third inning, Washington tied the game with a four-run outburst. Nine Wild Thing hitters came to the plate and combined to score four runs on four hits between a pair of Florence errors. After three, the score stood 5-5.

Florence and Washington exchanged single runs until the top of the eighth inning with Florence trailing 8-7. Lefthander Andrew Mitchell entered the game for Washington with one out in the eighth and walked Florence center fielder Cole Brannen and second baseman Harrison DiNicola before facing first baseman Craig Massey, who responded with a two-run go-ahead double that put the Y’alls ahead 9-8.

Florence righthander Brandon Mason entered the game in the ninth and held the Wild Things scoreless to earn his first save of the season. Second baseman Harrison DiNicola finished with a single and three walks in his season debut. Cole Brannen finished the series 8-for-9 at the plate with a double, a home run, and three walks against his former team.

The Y’alls travel to Windy City overnight to continue their nine-game road trip. Florence plays Game 1 against the Thunderbolts at 6:35 PM CT/7:35 PM ET on Friday, May 26th.

The Florence Y’alls are Northern Kentucky’s professional baseball team, and are proud members of the independent Frontier League, an MLB Partner League. With a purposeful focus on entertaining our fans, the Y’alls provide affordable, family-friendly entertainment. Y’alls home games are played at Thomas More Stadium, located at 7950 Freedom Way in Florence, Kentucky. More details can be found online at florenceyalls.com (http://florenceyalls.com/) or by phone at (859) 594-4487.