Game Recap

Y’alls Flattened in Series-Opening Loss

SAUGET, IL – The Florence Y’alls (21-25), presented by Towne Properties, allowed an early-innings barrage and never recovered in a 15-1 defeat to the Gateway Grizzlies (28-16). The loss marks Florence’s sixth in a row and fourteenth in the last 18 games.

The Y’alls and righthander Jestin Jones (3.0 IP, 10 H, 10 ER, 2 BB, 1 K) immediately ran into trouble versus the Grizzlies and their league-leading offense. Gateway quickly scored three runs in the first inning. Second baseman Gabe Holt led off with a double, then promptly scored on an RBI single from right fielder Jairus Richards. Two batters later, designated hitter Peter Zimmermann homered to bring Richards home and give Gateway a 3-0 lead.

In the second inning, Gateway continued its offensive surge. A one-out walk and a wild pitch moved catcher Alex Hernandez to second, who scored on a Gabe Holt RBI single. After Jairus Richards was hit by a pitch, Peter Zimmermann came to the plate two batters later to hit his second home run in as many innings – a three-run shot to give Gateway a 7-0 lead.

Florence scored its lone run in the top of the third when catcher Nick Wimmers doubled to lead off, moved to third on a Cole Brannen sacrifice bunt, then came home on a groundout from left fielder Lane Hoover. Wimmers’ double was the first professional hit of his career, and the rookie ultimately finished with two hits on the day in his Florence debut.

Gateway scored three more in the third on a two-run home run from Alex Hernandez and a solo shot from Holt. Gateway hit five home runs on the night and led 10-1 after three innings. The Grizzlies rallied for five in the bottom of the sixth on four hits and a walk, and the Y’alls never came any closer in a series-opening defeat.

Florence now tries to regroup on Tuesday in Game 2 against Gateway. First pitch from Grizzlies Ballpark is 7:05 p.m. CT on July 4th.

The Florence Y’alls presented by Towne Properties 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.