Freedom Come up Short, Fall 4-3
Published on August 2, 2011 under Frontier League (FL)
Florence Y'alls News Release
The Freedom came up on the short end Tuesday night and fell in their seventh straight game, 4-3 to the Lake Erie Crushers.
The Freedom got on the board in the first inning against Crushers starter Randy Sturgill. John Malloy walked with one out and Chris Curley followed with a single. Willie Holmes hit a grounder to third that was mishandled by Andrew Davis for an error to load the bases. Jeff Dunbar hit a sac fly to center to give the Freedom a 1-0 lead.
In the second, the Crushers hit three consecutive singles and Brian Erie drove in a run to tie the game at one. Zach Messer followed with a liner to short that was dropped by Junior Arrojo. The play turned into a fielder's choice, but a run scored on the error to make it 2-1.
Florence tied the game on a bizarre play in the third. Curley walked with one out and then Sturgill threw the ball away trying to pick him off at first as Curley had already left for second base. The ball rolled down the right field line and the Crushers defense was slow to react, allowing Curley to come all the way around and score.
The Crushers took the lead back with another RBI single by Erie in the fourth. Andrew Davis increased the lead to 4-2 with an RBI single in the fifth.
The Freedom responded in the sixth as Jeff Dunbar walked and Drew Rundle drove him in with an RBI triple to center to cut the lead to 4-3. The next batter, Kevin Haas, hit a grounder to short with the infield playing in and Rundle was thrown out at home.
Lake Erie had runners on second and third with one out in the seventh, but they had their second runner thrown out at home in the game to keep it a 4-3 game.
Florence put runners on the corners with one out in the bottom of the eighth against Crushers reliever Travis Risser. Lake Erie brought their hard-throwing closer Ruben Flores in to face Rundle, who struck out. Jarred Frierson stole second on the strikeout, but with the tying and go-ahead runs on, Kevin Haas flew out to end the threat.
Junior Arrojo led off the ninth against Flores with a bloop infield single to the right of the pitcher's mound. Juan Valdes sacrificed him over to second, and after a wild pickoff throw to try and nab Arrojo at second, he was interfered with by the shortstop Jodam Rivera and advanced to third. A high chopper was fielded at first for the second out, and Curley flew out to right to end the game.
The series continues Wednesday night as Steve MacFarland (1-0, 10.80) is on the mound for a 7:05 Winning Wednesday start.
Frontier League Stories from August 2, 2011
- Moss Leads Slammers to Fourth Straight Road Win - Joliet Slammers
- Bums Come Back for 8-4 Win - Traverse City Beach Bums
- Miners Mash Five Homers In 10-3 Win - Rockford RiverHawks
- Grizzlies Fall to Slammers in Game One of the Series - Gateway Grizzlies
- Miners Top Rockford 10-3 - Southern Illinois Miners
- Bums score eight unanswered to beat CornBelters - Normal CornBelters
- Otters hold on late for 4-3 win - Evansville Otters
- Crushers Bully Holds Late Lead - Lake Erie Crushers
- Wild Things Fall Short in Contest with Otters - Washington Wild Things
- Freedom Come up Short, Fall 4-3 - Florence Y'alls
- August 2 Joliet Slammers Game Notes - Joliet Slammers
- Ozzie Smith Bobblehead Giveaway Highlights Fundraiser - River City Rascals
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