The Florence Freedom (49-47) will face the River City Rascals (56-40) in a one-game playoff on Tuesday, Sept. 8 in O’Fallon, Missouri.
First pitch is set for 7:35 p.m. eastern time. Fans can tune in online at http://mixlr.com/florencefreedom/. Jeremy Gooding (8-4, 2.50 ERA) will take the hill.
Florence qualified for the post-season for the third time in four years on Sunday as the Evansville Otters were eliminated from contention thanks to a loss to River City. Meanwhile the Freedom earned the #5 seed as Rockford lost to Joliet. River City is the #4 seed.
The winner of the one-game playoff will advance to a best-of-three series against either the Normal CornBelters or the Southern Illinois Miners.
The Freedom fell to the Miners (63-33) by a final score of 7-6 on Sunday in the regular season finale. It was a tight game as the Freedom took an early lead in the top of the first thanks to a Frazier Hall two-RBI double.
But Southern Illinois responded right away in the bottom of the first with a Jerrud Sabourin RBI single. Aaron Gates put the Miners up 4-2 in the third with a three-run home run. Freedom starter Cody Gray got a no-decision as he went three innings, giving up four runs on five hits. He walked two and struck out two.
Southern Illinois added to their lead in the sixth on a Toby DeMello RBI single.
Down 5-2, Florence tallied a run in the seventh thanks to a bases loaded walk from Austin Newell. But an error allowed the Miners to score a run in the bottom half of the frame to make the score 6-3 in favor of Southern Illinois.
The Freedom staged a dramatic rally in the eighth against Eric Green (9-3). Isaac Wenrich walked to start the frame. Josh Henderson followed with a single. Steve Carrillo singled home Wenrich and Daniel Fraga tripled home Henderson and Carrillo to tie the game at six.
But DeMello hit a solo home run off Ed Kohout (4-4) to put the Miners up for good.
But by that time the Otters had already lost and the Freedom were in the playoffs.
In Saturday’s game, Florence rallied from two runs down to stun the Southern Illinois Miners (62-33) by a final score of 5-2.
Isaac Wenrich tripled home two runs in the seventh to tie the game and scored the eventual winning run for Florence on a wild pitch.
But for long time it was a classic pitchers’ duel as Southern Illinois’ Rick Teasley (9-4) and Florence’s Zach Wendorf traded blows as they dominated the opposing offenses.
Southern Illinois finally got to Wendorf in the fifth inning. Niko Vasquez walked to start the frame. One out later Steve Marino doubled to put runners at second and third. Brian Portelli stepped to the plate and hit a deep drive to right-center that Zac Mitchell tracked down on the run for out number two. On the play Vasquez scored to make it 1-0 in favor of the Miners. Toby DeMello singled home a second run to put the Miners up 2-0.
Wendorf got a no-decision as he went five and a third innings, giving up two runs on three hits. He walked two and struck out four.
Teasley tallied seven strike outs in the game and was virtually untouchable until the seventh. Austin Newell got things started in the seventh with a single. One out later Andrew Godbold singled as well. That’s when Wenrich tripled down the right field line to score both runners and tie the game at two. That was it for Teasley. With two away, new pitcher Shane Street uncorked a wild pitch, scoring Wenrich and putting Florence up 3-2.
Florence added another run in the eighth against Ryan Brockett. Daniel Fraga and Zac Mitchell hit back-to-back singles to start the frame. That’s when Sam Eberle came up huge with a single to left to score Fraga and extend the lead to 4-2.
Florence would pad the lead again in the ninth as Josh Henderson doubled with one out. With two away Daniel Fraga doubled him home to make the score 5-2.
A combination of Pete Levitt, Seth Harvey (4-4), Ethan Gibbons and Ed Kohout shut down the Miners out of the bullpen. Kohout picked up his 19th save of the year.
From Freedom Communications