Slammers Drop Season Opener to Florence Freedom

Submitted by Ryan Piers

A two-run first inning for the Florence Freedom holds up, as they top the Joliet Slammers at home on opening night. The Slammers are 0-1 with the loss and the Freedom move to 1-0.

The Slammers put a run across in the first inning against ace pitcher Coleman Stephens. With one out RF Nate Roberts doubled to center and 1B Chris Serritella lined a two-bagger down the right field line to drive him in. Mike Garza moved him to third, where Serritella was stranded, leaving the Slammers up 1-0 after the top half of the first.

The Freedom responded against P David Kubiak with two runs in the bottom half of the inning. DH Sean Mahley led off with a walk and moved to second on a CF Jake Luce single. Both would score on a two-RBI triple by LF Cody Bishop. Bishop would later be tagged out trying to score from third on a ground ball back to the pitcher. The Freedom led 2-1 after the first frame.

The first two batters against Kubiak reached in the second inning, but the tall righty found his rhythm and retired the next nine Freedom hitters. Florence threatened in the fifth, putting a runner on third with one out, but Kubiak got Mahley to fly out to center and struck out Luce looking.

Pitching dominated until the eighth inning. With one out, nobody on and lefty James Woods in for the Slammers, 1B Sam Eberle took him deep. Eberle’s solo home run over the left field fence put the Freedom up 3-1. That would ultimately be the final square, as the Slammers threatened to score in the eighth before putting a runner at the corners with two outs in the ninth. But reliever of Ed Kohout struck out IF Adrian English to end the Slammers comeback bid. David Kubiak (0-1) took the loss and Coleman Stephens (1-0) earned the win. Kohout closed out the ninth to record the save. The Slammers return to action against the Freedom on Friday, May 15. First pitch is at 6:05 p.m.

Notes: The Slammers are now 2-5 in opening day play. Kubiak made his first professional start after making 33 relief appearances last year. He had a 1.50 ERA in 2014. With two hits Serritella is the first Slammers player to record a multi-hit game. The Slammers went 2-4 against the Freedom last season. C. Jack Cleary threw out and tagged out a runner in the first inning. After giving up two runs in the first inning, Kubiak only around one hit over the next five innings pitched. The Merchants and Manufacturers Bank Player of The Game was Serritella with two hits and one RBI.