Despite leaving 14 men on base, the Florence Freedom, presented by Titan Mechanical Solutions, emerged victorious 4-3 in 12 innings in Game Three of the Frontier League Championship Series on Friday at UC Health Stadium.
With the score tied at two in the top of the twelfth inning, Freedom (4-3) right-hander Enrique Zamora (1-0) gave up a go-ahead homer to Boomers (5-2) right fielder Zack Weigel, a solo shot that completed a 4-for-4 night at the plate and pushed Schaumburg in front, 3-2.
However, Boomers closer Jake Joyce (0-1) promptly walked the first four men he faced in the home half, knotting the score at 3-3 before Jordan Brower forced a Game Four with an RBI-fielder’s choice scoring Collins Cuthrell and giving the Freedom a 4-3 win.
Florence started the scoring in the bottom of the second when Andrew Godbold put the Freedom in front with a solo blast to right field off Boomers starter Joe Hauser.
The Boomers answered in the top of the sixth on a Josh Gardiner fielder’s choice. With David Harris on third, Gardiner hit a grounder to Austin Wobrock at shortstop, who threw home with Harris attempting to score. Harris knocked the ball loose from catcher Garrett Vail’s mitt to score the tying run.
After Godbold led off the bottom of the sixth with a double and advanced to third on a Keivan Berges single, Wobrock gave the Freedom a 2-1 lead with a RBI-fielder’s choice.
With Tony Vocca on the bump for Florence in the eighth, Schaumburg again pulled even. After Weigel worked a walk, Gardiner and Sean Godfrey produced back-to-back singles, and as Braulio Torres-Perez entered to pitch, Rock Shoulders singled Gardiner home to tie the score at 2-2, where the score remained until the twelfth inning.
The Freedom left the go-ahead run stranded on second in the bottom of the eighth inning, and also failed to drive in the winning run in the ninth, tenth and eleventh innings.
Game Four of the series will be played at UC Health Stadium on Saturday, with first pitch scheduled for 6:05 p.m. Cody Gray will start on the mound for the Freedom against Schaumburg’s Kit Fowler.
The Florence Freedom are members of the independent Frontier League and play all home games at UC Health Stadium located at 7950 Freedom Way in Florence, KY. The Freedom can be found online at FlorenceFreedom.com, or by phone at 859-594-4487.
Florence Freedom
