In the first extra-inning action of the season, the Florence Freedom, presented by Titan Mechanical Solutions, took a lead in the eleventh inning but saw it disappear in the bottom half.
The team’s win streak ended at three games with a 9-8 loss to the Washington Wild Things Sunday at Wild Things Park.
With the score tied at 7-7, Daniel Fraga began the top of the eleventh inning on second base, per international tiebreaker rules. After a lineout to right field, Fraga tagged up and advanced to third on a foul popout to the second baseman. Andre Mercurio delivered a go-ahead RBI-single to right field off Wild Things (9-6) righty Zach Strecker (2-0).
In the home half, Rashad Brown tripled to right-center off Matt Pobereyko (0-1), scoring Kyle Pollock from second as the tying run. Kyle Reese followed with a fly ball to right field that was not deep enough for Brown to tag up and score, but Bralin Jackson then singled to right field, driving in the winning run.
For the third straight night, the Freedom (11-4) scored first, as Ryan Rinsky delivered a RBI-single in the top of the second. Washington responded by rallying off Florence starter Ryan Calby in the bottom half, plating six runs on four hits and three Freedom errors. Calby was lifted after just an inning and two-thirds in his Freedom debut, surrendering six runs, all but one unearned.
Sam Brunner provided four scoreless innings in long relief while Florence rallied back. Jordan Brower hit a two-run single to trim the deficit to 6-3, and in the sixth, pinch-hitter Ozzy Braff came through with a bases-loaded, two-run double off the left field wall to set up a game-tying sacrifice fly by Fraga.
The two teams each scored one run in the seventh to tie the score at 7-7, which would hold until the eleventh inning.
New Freedom right-hander Kyle Doerr also made his professional debut in the game, tossing scoreless eighth and ninth innings in relief to help send the game to extra innings.
The Freedom will travel to Marion, Illinois, for a three-game series against the Southern Illinois Miners beginning Tuesday, with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 CT at Rent One Park. Right-hander Jordan Kraus (2-1) will start for Florence.
Group tickets and season ticket plans are currently on sale for the 2017 campaign. Fans can guarantee seating for premium promotional dates by calling the Freedom at 859-594-4487.
Florence Freedom
