FL Florence Y'alls

Florence Squanders Early Lead to Drop Seventh Straight

Published on June 1, 2018 under Frontier League (FL)
Florence Y'alls News Release


FLORENCE, Ky - The Florence Freedom, presented by Titan Mechanical Solutions, had an early lead but let the game slip away as the River City Rascals rallied from three runs down to win, 5-4, and push the Freedom losing streak to seven games on Friday at UC Health Stadium.

The scoring began early in a promising start for Florence (8-10) as Jose Brizuela roped a solo home run to right field in the bottom of the first to give the Freedom a, 1-0, lead after one frame. In the bottom of the second, Keivan Berges smashed a lead-off single up the middle before Craig Lepre sent a double down the line in right to put Florence up by two. Brizuela then made the score, 3-0, in the home half of third, sending his second homer in as many at-bats over the wall in right field for his team leading fourth of the year.

Steve Hagen (2-1) got off to a strong start in his fourth outing of the year, shutting out the Rascals (12-6) offense through his first three frames. However, River City would rally for a pair of runs in the fourth, starting with a bases loaded ground-out off the bat of Gerrion Grim to pull the Rascals within two. With two runners still in scoring position and two outs, Zach Lavy lined a single to right to plate one more before Connor Crane gunned the tying run at home to preserve the Freedom, 3-2, advantage after four innings.

Crane promptly added to the Freedom lead in the bottom of the fifth when he followed a Brandon Pugh single and swipe of second via a wild pitch with a two-out base-knock to left field that scored Pugh and put the Freedom back in front by a pair, 4-2. Jonny Ortiz (1-0) entered the game to face Brizuela and coaxed him into a strikeout to end the inning. Ortiz would be masterful for the Rascals in relief, spanning 2.1 shutout innings, allowing just one hit and punching-out four en route to his first win of the season.

River City would score three runs in the top of the sixth to take a, 5-4 lead they would not relinquish. With Hagen still on the bump, a Grim bases-loaded single to left drove in one before Zach Lavy sent a sacrifice fly to right to tie the game at four. With runners on the corners, Grim broke early from first prompting Hagen to throw over, but Lepre misfired his throw to second allowing the go-ahead run to cross the plate as the ball rolled into left-center field. Hagen did not return for the seventh, finishing the game with six strikeouts and one walk, while allowing five runs, four earned on eight hits as he suffered his first loss of 2018.

Florence had a chance to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth. With Brizuela on second and one out, Andre Mercurio singled to right but Brizuela was hosed at the plate and Mercurio was cut down at second attempting to stretch the single into a double for the third out of the inning.

Cody Mincey entered in the ninth for River City and faced the minimum on his way to his sixth save of the season.

The Freedom will be right back in action on Saturday night for the second of three game weekend tilt against the first place Rascals. Florence will send righty Jordan Kraus to the mound opposite southpaw Lucas Laster for River City. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 at UC Health Stadium.

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.

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Frontier League Stories from June 1, 2018


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