Godbold powers Florence to Game 1 victory
Washington shortstop Justin Bohn turns a double play during the fourth inning in a playoff game against Florence Tuesday at Wild Things Park.
With a runner on third, Washington pitcher Trevor Foss scrambles to cover home as catcher Kyle Pollock throw to first during the first inning of Tuesday’s playoff game against Florence.
Washington second baseman Kyle Reese waits for the throw as Florence center fielder Andre Mercurio slides into second base during a Frontier League playoff game Tuesday at Wild Things Park.
Andrew Godbold’s bat got in the way of what could have been the Wild Things’ first Frontier League playoff victory in a decade.
Godbold hit a game-tying solo homer in the ninth inning, a game-winning, two-run double and drove in four runs as Florence rallied late to beat Washington 5-3 in 11 innings Tuesday night in Game 1 of a best-of-5 semifinal series.
Game 2 is at 7:05 tonight with Chase Cunningham (10-3, 3.46) pitching for Washington against Florence’s Braulio Torres-Perez (4-2, 2.82). And it will be hard for the teams to match the tension-filled opener.
“That was a great game with good defense and pitching,” Florence manager Dennis Pelfrey said.
Washington manager Gregg Langbehn agreed.
“That was a great baseball game. That’s what it’s all about. I know all the guys are disappointed, but from my experiences that’s what the playoffs are. There just aren’t many opportunities to score.”
That’s why Washington had to like its chances in the top of the ninth inning, when they were leading 3-2 after scoring three times in the seventh.
With Washington two outs away from a come-from-behind victory, which would have been its first win in the postseason since Game 2 of the 2007 championship series against Windy City, Godbold drove a pitch from Washington starter Trevor Foss for a no-doubt-about-it home run to left field that tied the score at 3-3.
It was the first home run for Godbold, the No. 5 hitter in the Florence lineup, since July 16.
“Andrew had been struggling in the middle part of the season,” Pelfrey said. “He always had the good batting average, but he wasn’t hitting the long ball. He was trying to do too much. So the last 10 days or so we worked on some things from the mental standpoint and they paid off.”
Foss gave up two Florence runs in the first inning, and Goldbold’s solo homer in the ninth, but was fabulous in between. Foss allowed only six hits and three walks over nine strong innings and struck out a career-high 14 while throwing 129 pitches. It was his first double-digit strikeout game in five professional seasons.
Foss was locked in a pitchers’ duel with Florence starter Jordan Kraus, who played his college ball at Wheeling Jesuit. Kraus took a 2-0 shutout into the seventh before running into trouble. The trouble began with a leadoff walk by Kane Sweeney after Kraus was ahead in the count at 0-2.
Washington outfielder Hector Roa followed by hitting a fly ball the opposite way that carried for a two-run homer to tie the score at 2-2 and give the Wild Things a spark.
Catcher Kyle Pollock then drew the second walk of the inning and third baseman Mike Hill attempted to put down a bunt and sacrifice Pollock to second base. He fouled off two attempts before, with the count 0-2, driving a double off the base off the wall in center field. Pollock raced all the way around the bases to score and give Washington its first lead of the series at 3-2.
“We didn’t do much until the seventh. Kraus pitched awesome and so did Foss,” Langbehn said.
Foss struck out the side in the top of the eighth, and after Washington stranded two baserunners in the bottom of the inning the Washington right-hander returned to the mound to start the ninth, even with his pitch count well past 100.
“Hats off to Trevor Foss and the Washington club,” Pelfrey said. “They really played well.”
Foss got Andrew Mercurio to ground out to start the inning but hung a pitch to Goldbold, who belted his home run that left the Wild Things and their fans stunned.
Florence won the game in the 11th against Washington reliever Zach Strecker.
Collins Cuthrell, who drove in the game’s first run with a double three batters into the first inning, singled and moved to second when Mercurio walked. Godbold put a drive off the wall in center field – on an 0-2 pitch – that drove in two runs and made it 5-3.
“It’s unbelievable how the playoffs work,” Langbehn said. “Look at how well Trevor Foss pitched. After the first three batters reached base, he had 11 groundball outs and 14 strikeouts. He was locating. That’s the best I’ve seen his arm in weeks.
“But the difference was the little things, the hits we allowed on 0-2 pitches, plus we were fairly limited offensively.”
Washington was held to eight hits, including three by Roa.
Tony Vocca got the win with three shutout innings of relief and Pete Perez pitched a scoreless 11th for a save.
“Pitching and defense is what’s going to win this series,” Pelfrey said.
Washington is 6-5 in the opening game of a playoff series. … The Wild Things have lost four consecutive home playoff games, a streak that dates back to 2007. … Mercurio, who was 18-for-18 in stolen base attempts during the regular season, was thrown out by Pollock in the sixth inning. … The 14 strikeouts by Foss ties the franchise record for a game. Justin Hall struck out 14 Windy City batters in the 2011 season finale. Hall pitched 11 innings in that game.