Crushers Take Series over Florence
Published on August 4, 2018 under Frontier League (FL)
Florence Y'alls News Release
FLORENCE, Ky - Looking to even the series in the middle-game of a weekend set, the Florence Freedom, presented by Titan Mechanical Solutions, fell, 7-5, as the Lake Erie Crushers set-up a sweep opportunity on Saturday night at UC Health Stadium.
The Crushers (38-33) broke through first on Freedom (35-36) starter, Tyler Gibson (3-3) in the top of the second. Zach Racusin knocked a one out- single before reaching third base on a Bryan DeLaRosa fielder's choice that included an Xavier Turner throwing error at third base. With runners at the corners, Dalton Wheat tallied an RBI-single setting up a two-run triple from Nick Roark later in the frame. Roark was gunned at home-plate trying to make it an inside the park home run, allowing Florence to come to the plate, trailing, 3-0, in the home half of the second.
Florence pulled within two in the fourth, getting a lead-off single from Caleb Lopes before Jordan Brower notched his first of three runs batted in on the night, singling off Justin Sinibaldi (1-2) to score Lopes four batters later.
Answering in their very next at-bat, Lake Erie reclaimed a three-run edge at, 4-1, in the top of the fifth. Cody Lenahan had the RBI, plating Dane Hutcheon with a one-bagger of his own.
In the bottom of the sixth, two more Freedom runs made it a one-run game. After Ricky Ramirez Jr. walked, Xavier Turner made it three consecutive games with two-hits, shooting a single to right to put runners at first and second. Brower then delivered a two-run double, upping his RBI total to 34 on the season, good for second-most on the Freedom roster as the score became, 4-3.
Lake Erie would continue to answer, plating a trio of runs in the seventh to give them their biggest lead of the night. Three-straight hits to start the frame, including a Joel McKeithan two-run double, spelled the end of the night for Gibson. With lefty reliever, Patrick McGrath in the game, the Crushers would add one more run on a DeLaRosa infield hit, the run charged to the Freedom starter as the defecit grew to, 7-3, for Florence. McGrath would collect a pair of strikeouts in his lone inning of relief on the night.
Gibson would swallow the loss, spanning 6 innings and allowing 12 hits, with the Crushers touching him up for seven runs, only three of which were earned, however. The right-hander did not walk a batter, and totaled a game-high six strikeouts in his third start of the season.
With Branden Nunn on the bump for Lake Erie in the seventh, John Price Jr., who made his season debut on Saturday, laced a double to lead-off the frame for his first Freedom hit of the season. Caleb Lopes would make it count, plating Price Jr. two batters later on a ground-out to third base. Price Jr. would launch a solo-blast to left in the ninth off Louis Cohen, becoming the fourth Freedom player to homer in his debut in 2018, joining Skyler Ewing, Graylin Derke and Jacob Wark. The big-fly made it a two-run game at, 7-5, which would wind up the game's final score.
Sinibaldi would earn his first win of the year in his fifth start of the season for the Crushers, going six innings and scattering seven hits on the way to three earned runs. He would walk one batter and strikeout a pair. Cohen earned the save for Lake Erie, his second of the year, in two innings of relief.
This East vs. West Division showdown will draw to a close on Sunday, with first pitch slated for 2:35 p.m. Florence will trot-out right-hander, Christian DeLeon as they hope to salvage one game in the weekend series at UC Health Stadium. The Crushers have not yet determined their Game-three starter.
The Florence Freedom are members of the Independent Frontier League and play all home games at UC Health Stadium located at 7950 Freedom Wayin Florence, KY. The Freedom can be found online at florencefreedom.com, or by phone at (859) 594-4487.
Frontier League Stories from August 4, 2018
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