Austin Newell propelled the Florence Freedom to their second straight victory with a three-run double in the eighth inning Sunday, a 7-5 decision over the Evansville Otters.
Trailing by one heading into the eighth, the first three hitters of the inning reached on walks issued by Brody Greer. With the bases loaded and nobody out, Evansville called upon Ken Frosch to escape the jam. He forced an infield fly and a strikeout before facing Newell. On a 3-2 pitch, Newell laced a line drive over the head of the first baseman and down the right-field line, scoring all three runners and putting the Freedom ahead 7-5.
Matt Pobereyko and Ethan Gibbons kept the Otters scoreless in the eighth and the ninth, combining to allow just two hits, while striking out four. Gibbons earned the save for the second night in a row.
Austin Newell propelled the Florence Freedom to their second straight victory with a three-run double in the eighth inning (Freedom Photo)
The Otters started the scoring with an unearned run off of Florence starter Stetson Nelson in the first. Josh Allen singled and stole second. With two away, Travis Weaver fielded a soft grounder, but his throw to first was short and Zach Mathieu could not dig it out. When the ball ricocheted a few feet away from Mathieu, Allen darted home to score the game’s first run.
The Freedom piled on four runs in the third to take a 4-1 lead. Florence sent nine batters to the plate, starting with a hit from Weaver. The next batter, Andre Mercurio, laid down a bunt that Evansville starter Peyton Baskette fielded and threw into center field. Taylor Oldham walked to load the bases and then Newell notched his first big hit of the game, giving Florence the lead with a two-RBI single. Cuthrell plated Oldham from third on a groundout and Newell scored the fourth and final run of the inning on a base hit from Mathieu.
Nelson was solid for the rest of his outing, tossing 4 1/3 innings and allowing three hits and three walks, while striking out seven. Pete Levitt finished off the final two outs of the fifth.
The Otters jumped all over Tony Vocca to begin the sixth. Vocca allowed a hit to each of the four batters he faced and they call came around to score in the inning as Evansville took a 5-4 lead. The Otters almost plated another, but Ronaldo Gomez was called out at the plate on a perfect throw from Andrew Godbold to Garrett Vail.
The score remained 5-4 until Newell’s double in the eighth.
Newell finished with five RBIs on a 2-for-5 night. Mathieu and Cuthrell knocked in the other two Freedom runs. Andrew Millner relieved Vocca in the sixth and pitched two scoreless innings, earning the win.
Greer took the loss after walking the three runners who scored on Newell’s double in the eighth. Josh Allen (3-for-4) and Nik Balog (2-for-3, RBI) led the Otters offensively.
Florence will take the next two days off before beginning a two-game series at UC Health Stadium against the Southern Illinois Miners on Wednesday. Jeremy Gooding (1-1, 5.22 ERA) will make his third start of the season and first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
From Freedom Communications
