Every Florence Freedom player recorded a hit as they outlasted the Lake Erie Crushers 11-9 in a seesaw affair Wednesday night.
Outfielders Matt Stiffler and Erold Andrus, along with infielders Billy Mottram, Jordan Baker and designated hitter Ryan Basham, drove in two runs each to lead the Freedom to victory. Crusher pitching surrendered 14 hits to the Freedom, half of which came off of starting pitcher Josh Failoa who lasted only three innings in the loss.
The Crushers took an early 1-0 lead in the second inning courtesy of outfielder Luke Hetherington’s fourth home run of the season. In the home half on the second inning, the Freedom put up four runs. Both Stiffler and Baker drove in two making it a 4-1 ball game.
By the fourth inning, the game was all tied up at four after the Crushers scored three runs in the fourth inning. Crusher third baseman Andrew Davis’ first of two home runs on the day brought Lake Erie back in the game.
The Freedom took the lead for good in the home half on the fourth inning, adding five more runs to make it a 9-4 ball game. The combination of a Faiola throwing error, a Andrus sac fly, Basham’s one-run single and Billy Mottram’s league-leading, 14th home run of the season, cemented the win for the Freedom.
The two teams traded two runs each in the fifth as the Freedom led 11-6 through five.
Crusher relief pitching, however, blanked the Freedom through the final three frames of the ball game, but thanks to relief pitchers Demetrius Banks and Jonathon Miller, the Freedom closed out the game. Miller earned his fifth save of the season after striking out the final batter in the ninth.
After going just 1-5 on the road trip, the Freedom will be home for the next five games.
Next up, the Freedom (17-14) take on the Lake Erie Crushers Thursday night. Action is set to begin at 7:05 p.m. at
Champion Window Field.
