Freedom Win Third Straight On The Road
Published on August 14, 2009 under Frontier League (FL)
Florence Y'alls News Release
LOVES PARK, IL - The Florence Freedom have become ace killers this season after their 5-3 win Friday night over the Rockford RiverHawks at Road Ranger Stadium.
The Freedom are now 4-0 against Southern Illinois' reigning Frontier League pitcher of the year Ryan Bird, Windy City's Ross Stout and Rockford's 2009 league ERA leader Kyle Wright. The three pitchers are a combined 27-11 this season, but winless against the Freedom.
It was Wright who took the loss Friday night after striking out the first seven Freedom batters. Florence strung together three straight hits in the third inning to take a 1-0 lead. Ryan Basham's RBI single knocked in the first run of the game.
Rockford came right back and tied the game in the bottom of the third off Florence right-hander Allan Donato who was making his professional debut. Jason James doubled leading off and then scored on a controversial balk after Donato thought time had been called. Freedom manager Toby Rumfield argued the call which he was later ejected on.
That was the only run Donato allowed over 5 1/3 innings of two hit ball.
Still tied at one, the Freedom railed for three against Wright in the eighth inning. This time it was Wright to balk, scoring the first run of the eighth. Tim Grogan drove home the second run with a suicide squeeze and Justin Pickett knocked in his 64th RBI of the season with a single.
Demetrius Banks allowed two runs in the bottom of the eighth as the RiverHawks put together three doubles. But after Erold Andrus gave the Freedom some added insurance in the ninth with a RBI single, Jonathan Miller (9) got James to ground out for the save.
Banks improved to 5-4 despite allowing two runs in 2/3 of an inning. Wright dropped to 10-3 in the loss for Rockford.
Andrus finished 3-4 with a RBI and run scored. Matt Stiffler also had three of the Freedom's nine hits going 3-4.
Florence (36-39) has now won three straight games on the road after snapping a seven game road losing streak on Wednesday. Game two of the series against the RiverHawks will be played Saturday night at 8:05 p.m. Eastern. Follow the Freedom while the team is on the road on Classic Country 106.7 FM WNKR or www.1067WNKR.com.
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