In game one of a pivotal West Division collision, the Florence Freedom, presented by Titan Mechanical Solutions, could not keep up with the high-octane River City Rascals offense in an, 11-7, loss on Friday night at UC Health Stadium.
River City (48-35) set an early tone in the first, scoring five runs on six consecutive hits off Hayden Wheeler (1-2) after the southpaw recorded a strikeout to start the ballgame.
Trevor Achenbach, who would leave the game in the fourth with an apparent injury, plated the first run of the game, shooting a double down the line in left field as the Freedom (49-35) fell behind, 1-0. L.J. Kalawaia followed with a two-run double and James Morisano unloaded a two-run blast to straight-away center field, to make the score 5-0 after one inning.
The Freedom stormed back to make it a one-run game in the bottom of the second.
Connor Crane started the rally with a lead-off single off of Rascals left-hander, Alex Winkelman. Isaac Benard and Trevor Craport worked a pair of walks to load the bases.
Jackson Pritchard came through with a bases-clearing double to right-center that ignited a near sell-out crowd at UC Health Stadium, pulling the Freedom within a pair at 5-3.
Winkelman got pulled after the double, appearing to suffer an injury on the pitch.
The southpaw totaled one official inning of work, surrendering four earned runs on three hits with two walks and a whiff in a no-decision.
With right-hander, Anthony Herrera on the hill, Austin Wobrock lined a single to right, scoring Pritchard to make it a one-run game, 5-4.
Scheduled starter for the finale in game three on Sunday, Travis McQueen (4-2) took over on the mound for River City in the third. The righty allowed just one hit and no walks over his first four innings of long-relief in the affair and landed the win for his efforts.
The Rascals added to their advantage on Zach Lavy’s 12th homer of the year in the fourth, a solo-shot that moved the game to, 6-4.
Two more runs would cross home-plate for River City in their side of the fifth, as Morisano stroked a two-out double to right-center to bring his RBI total up to four.
Wheeler exited after five, took the lose and allowed eight earned runs on ten hits with two walks and three punch-outs.
Making his club debut, right-hander, Jamal Wilson spanned two shut-out innings and racked up four strikeouts.
The Freedom began a late push in the bottom of the seventh. Pritchard singled and and stole second base. Taylor Bryant responded, blistering a single to left to plate Pritchard as Florence got back within three at, 8-5.
The Rascals had an answer, however, touching Florence reliever, Sean Hughes for a run on a Nolan Meadows fielder’s choice. Lavy crossing the plate to again propel the visitors ahead by four, 9-5.
Florence continued their late surge, adding a pair of runs in their side of the eighth facing right-hander, Andrew Vernon.
Two consecutive one-out singles from Caleb Lopes and Crane put runners at first and second for Benard.
Benard hit a broken-bat single to right, scoring Lopes and allowing Crane to scoot to third. Craport plated Crane, bouncing out on a slow chopper to third as the Freedom again pulled within a pair, at 9-7.
Ryan Mordecai took a turn on the hill for the Freedom in the top of the ninth, and surrendered a two-run homer to Lavy, his second of the game, and the four-run cushion was restored.
The Freedom went down quietly in the bottom of the ninth. It was the sixth loss in seven games for Florence.
The West Division rivals will meet in the series middle-game on Saturday night at UC Health Stadium.
The Freedom will send lefty, Scott Sebald (6-1, 3.76) to the mound, opposite righty, Taylor Ahearn (2-3, 2.96) with first pitch slated for 6:05 p.m.
Florence will enter the game two-and-a-half up on the Rascals for first-place in the West Division standings.
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
