July 2 Florence Freedom Game Notes
Published on July 2, 2014 under Frontier League (FL)
Florence Y'alls News Release
FLORENCE FREEDOM (17-21) @ GATEWAY GRIZZLIES (29-13)
Wednesday, July 2, - 8:05 p.m. ET
GCS Ballpark - Sauget, IL
Game #39- Road Game #16 (17-21), (4-11)
LHP #30 Dave Middendorf (2-3, 3.71 ERA) vs. RHP #20 JaVaun West (5-1, 3.32 ERA)
Last time out...
The Gateway Grizzlies (29-13) came back from one-run down in the ninth on a Michael Wing RBI double and won the game in the 11th on a walk-off hit by pitch to defeat the Florence Freedom (17-21) by a final score of 3-2 Tuesday night. Gateway got on the board first thanks to a Niko Vasquez solo home run in the fourth. That was the only run Freedom starter Peter Gehle allowed as he went six and two thirds innings, scattering six hits, and striking out four. Florence did not record a hit against Gateway starter Tucker Jensen until the sixth. With one out, Michael Wilson singled. Cole Miles followed with a walk. Sam Eberle delivered a clutch two-out RBI single to tie the game at one. Ben Kline followed with a RBI single of his own and the Freedom led 2-1. But Wing doubled in a run in the ninth off Jorge Marban and Chris Cummins hit Richard Seigel with the bases loaded in the 11th to end the game.
For Starters...
Dave Middendorf has suffered back-to-back losses on the mound. Tonight he makes his ninth start of the season. In his most recent start Middendorf went five innings, giving up four runs on eight hits in a 6-1 loss to the Evansville Otters. The Freedom acquired Middendorf in a trade from the Lake Erie Crushers on March 12, 2014. He was one of the top pitchers in the entire Frontier League in 2013, going 12-7 with a 2.60 ERA in 21 games, 19 starts for the Crushers. He pitched two years in the Royals' minor league system, reaching as high as Idaho Falls (Pioneer League). He went 3-4 with a 6.28 ERA over those two seasons with three saves. He made 39 appearances, all in a relief role and struck out 52 while walking 19 over 67.1 innings of work. Middendorf was named an NCAA Division II first-team All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association after posting a 9-3 record with a 1.73 earned run average. His 127 strikeouts in 2011 set a new single-season record at NKU and were good for second among all Division II pitchers. He also set a career mark for strikeouts with 349 over his four years with the Norse. His 25 career wins rank third all-time at NKU and his 2.53 career ERA is fourth. Along with the All-Americans honors, Middendorf was named the Great Valley Conference and Midwest Region pitcher of the year.
Mr. Clutch...
Ben Kline is hitting .241 overall on the season but he turns into a star when runners are in scoring position for the Freedom. He is hitting .385 in 26 at bats with nine RBI with RISP.
Where's the offense?!
The Freedom have the lowest team batting average in the Frontier League at .226 and have scored the fewest runs with 141 runs on the season. The Freedom have scored less than three runs in a game 14 times this year and are 1-13 when they do so.
Road Woes...
The Freedom are 4-11 away from UC Health Stadium and have yet to win a road series as they have dropped five consecutive road series to start the 2014 season. The team ERA is 4.32 on the road compared to 3.36 at home. Their team batting average on the road is .205.
Staley Smash...
Joe Staley leads the Freedom in home runs (5) and RBI (25). Staley has not hit a home run on the road this season.
Fast starts...
The Freedom have out-scored opponents 27-19 in the first inning. The plus eight run differential is the biggest of any inning for Florence.
My Oh Miles...
Cole Miles has already matched his career high in home runs with four this season. He leads the team in batting average at .317. His 10 steals are tied for the most on the squad. Over the past 10 games Miles is hitting .382 with a home run and four RBI.
Frontier League Stories from July 2, 2014
- Grizzlies Push Win Streak to Nine Game with Win against Freedom - Gateway Grizzlies
- ThunderBolts Lose 10-2 to Normal; Game Two Suspended - Windy City ThunderBolts
- Rascals Hang On to Win Game Two 3-2 - River City Rascals
- CornBelters Continue Offensive Explosion in 5th Straight Win - Normal CornBelters
- Rascals Edge Beach Bums 3-2 - Traverse City Beach Bums
- Slammers Postponed by Rain on Wednesday in Schaumburg - Joliet Slammers
- Boomers and Slammers Rained Out - Schaumburg Boomers
- Lake Erie Crushers Rained Out - Lake Erie Crushers
- Game against Crushers Postponed - Rockford Aviators
- Game against Crushers Postponed - Rockford Aviators
- July 2 Florence Freedom Game Notes - Florence Y'alls
- Otters Start Three Game, Two Day Series vs. Greys - Evansville Otters
- Principal Financial Dreams Tour Comes to T.R. Hughes Ballpark - River City Rascals
- Slammers Win 5-0 on Tuesday - Joliet Slammers
- Fourth of July Weekend at Rent One Park - Southern Illinois Miners
- Freedom Fall in Extra Innings to Grizzlies - Florence Y'alls
- Grizzlies Walk-Off against Freedom; Win Streak Goes to Eight - Gateway Grizzlies
- River City Outslugs Traverse City 12-11 - Traverse City Beach Bums
- Crushers done in by a four-run eighth inning - Lake Erie Crushers
- Four-Run Eighth Lifts Aviators over Crushers - Rockford Aviators
- Shaw and Rascals Hold on to Win 12-11 - River City Rascals
- Boomers Blanked by Joliet - Schaumburg Boomers
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