Freedom Escape Normal with Series Win
Published on August 24, 2018 under Frontier League (FL)
Florence Y'alls News Release
NORMAL, Il - In the last game played between the two West Division rivals at the Corn Crib, the Florence Freedom, presented by Titan Mechanical Solutions, held on to a, 6-5, victory over the Normal CornBelters, taking the game, and the series on Thursday night.
The Freedom (44-43) took an early lead in all three games of the mid-week tilt at Normal (44-40), using a Jake Wark sacrifice-fly to continue the trend in the second inning of the finale. Adding to their edge in the third, Skyler Ewing followed a single from Ricky Ramirez Jr. by lacing a two-run shot off Jacinto Garcia (5-5) that hit off the yellow stripe at the top of the wall in left, giving the visitors a, 3-0, lead after 2.5 innings.
Looking for his first win since June 29, also at Normal, Florence hurler, Steve Hagen (7-6) worked two clean innings before the Belters struck three times in their side of the third. After the first two batters recorded outs, Normal sent six men to the plate and saw Derrick Loveless launch his first of two, two-run homers before back-to-back doubles from Andrew Godbold and Sean Hurley knotted the score at three.
The stalemate lasted into the visitor's half of the fifth, where Florence took their final lead of the night. Ramirez Jr. started the rally by lacing his second single of the game to begin the frame, and after two quick outs, Jordan Brower worked a walk to put two guys on. Taylor Bryant proceeded to blast his first Freedom homer next, a three-run shot over the wall in left gave Florence a commanding, 6-3, lead. Garcia would not come back out for the sixth, closing his night having allowed six earned runs on eight hits with four walks and four strikeouts over five innings of work.
Hagen would go on to span six, three-run innings, scattering eight hits with no walks and five whiffs on the way to his seventh win, and ninth quality start of 2018.
Sam Martin and Ryan Colegate would combine to cover two scoreless innings of relief, before closer Johnathon Tripp toed the slab in search of his fourteenth save in the bottom of the ninth. There would be drama, as Michael Baca worked a lead-off walk and stole second base before taking third on a Santiago Chirino ground-out to second. With two outs, Derrick Loveless connected on his third homer of the series, and second of the night, pulling the Belters within one. Tripp would induce a ground ball to short from Godbold, however, with the 6-3 put-out slamming the door on the, 6-5, win and Freedom series victory.
Florence will head back to the comfy confines of UC Health Stadium this weekend where a three-game set with the last-place in the West, Gateway Grizzlies awaits. Normal will load the bus to Marion, IL for a trio of collisions with the Southern Illinois Miners at Rent One Park.
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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