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Lake Erie Crushers rally late to post 8-7 win over Florence Freedom on Sunday


By David Kubota
NKyTribune reporter

The Lake Erie Crushers snapped a seven-game losing streak by rallying for an 8-7 win over the visiting Florence Freedom on Sunday.

A big defensive play in the top of the ninth inning keyed the win, as Lake Erie’s Aaron Hill threw out Florence’s Caleb Lopes at the plate after a double by Skyler Ewing. The Crushers executed a perfect relay from the deep left-field corner on Ewing’s double, with Hill gunning down Lopes at home for the second out of the inning.

Lake Erie reliever Justin Sinibaldi then struck out Jacob Wark to end the game and preserve the victory.

Lake Erie won despite committing four errors, including two miscues in the sixth inning. Ewing was 2-for-4 to lead Florence, which scored six times in the sixth inning to take a 7-4 lead. The Crushers countered with a one run in the bottom of the frame, two in the seventh and one in the eighth.

On Saturday night, Florence’s Christian DeLeon allowed just one hit in seven innings and the Freedom held on for a 1-0 win. Wark drove in Jordan Brower with an RBI single in the first inning for the game’s only run.

DeLeon struck out five batters and allowed just one walk. Johnathon Tripp collected the save by pitching a scoreless ninth inning.

Florence won two of the three games in the weekend series at Lake Erie. The Freedom will take off the next four days as the All-Star break begins on Monday.

The Freedom will return to action July 13 by hosting the Southern Illinois Miners at 7:05 p.m. at UC Health Stadium.

David Kubota is a Scripps Howard Foundation intern at the NKyTribune this summer. He is a student at the University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media.


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