Jun 28, 2022 4 min read

This is the Year of the Hitter in the Frontier League. Teams have been blowing up scoreboards and making double-digit run totals a nightly routine.

The Florence Y’alls rolled into Washington on Tuesday for the start of a three-game series that matches the top two offenses in the Frontier League. So what kind of game did the Y’alls and Wild Things produce? Would you believe an old-fashioned pitchers’ duel, in which runs and hits were few and far between, even if Washington pitchers seemingly walked the park.

Washington starter Kobe Foster and four relievers combined on a two-hitter, Andrew Czech hit a tiebreaking home run in the seventh inning and Washington edged Florence, 2-1, to end a two-game losing streak.

“That was a good ballgame. You don’t have many of those in this league,” Washington manager Tom Vaeth said, referring to the 2-1 score.

Florence starter Yasel Santana (2-3) and the Washington staff were locked in a 1-1 tie in the seventh when Czech hit a hanging changeup on a 1-1 pitch down the right-field line for his fourth home run of the season.

Czech’s home run came two pitches after the game was delayed for about five minutes when Florence catcher Andres Sthormes left the game mid-inning because of an arm injury.

“We had a game against Tri-City this year that went into a rain delay and I was waiting 45 minutes to go to the plate,” Czech said. “I went to the plate this time with the same mentality – look for something to drive.”

Czech’s home run was one of the few bad pitches Santana threw. He gave up five hits and one walk over seven innings. He struck out seven.

“That kid was throwing really well,” Vaeth said. “Most of the time a 2-1 game comes down to a lack of execution on one pitch that makes the difference.”

Washington pitchers didn’t execute a lot of pitches but were able to get away with eight walks and two hit batsmen.

The only run for Florence came with two outs in the first inning when second baseman Harrison DiNicola drove a pitch from Foster over the wall in right centerfield for a solo home run, Dincola’s first of the season.

The Y’alls didn’t have another hit until Alberti Charvez’s double in the eighth.

Washington tied the score in the bottom of the first. Nick Ward drew a leadoff walk and advanced all the way to third base on an errant pickoff throw. Ward was still on third base with two outs, when Wagner Lagrange hit a run-scoring double to right centerfield.

The game remained 1-1 until Czech’s fourth home run of the season.

Foster, who was making his second pro start, allowed only one hit over five innings. He did walk five and struck out six.

Christian James (2-0) followed with two scoreless innings and Kenny Pierson followed with two-thirds of an inning.

Florence loaded the bases with two outs in the eighth but Eric Mock got Anthony Brocato to bounce into an inning-ending fielder’s choice.

The Y’alls’ Joe Lytle was hit by a pitch from Washington closer Lukas Young to start the ninth, but a sacrifice bunt and two groundouts ended the game. Young registered his seventh save.

“My bullpen did a great job,” Vaeth said. “They made pitches when they had to. Even when they got into trouble, they got out of it.”

Washington had a golden chance to add to its lead in the eighth but came away emptyhanded. Cole Brannen hit a one-out single off reliever Bobby Braband and moved to third on a bloop single to left field by Ward. Ward stole second base to put two runners in scoring position, but the threat ended on a strikeout and groundout.

Extra bases

Sthormes was replaced by Billy Damon, who is a two-way player who has pitched in six games for Florence. The Y’alls don’t have a true backup catcher on the roster after trading Casey Combs to Lake Erie last week.