The Florence Freedom swept the Windy City ThunderBolts in a doubleheader on Sunday, winning by scores of 6-4 in extra innings and 4-2 in the nightcap.
The 6-4 victory in game one took eight innings in a game scheduled to go seven.
Through three innings in game one the ThunderBolts held a 2-0 lead, but the Freedom rallied with one in the fourth and one more in the fifth to tie the game. In the fourth Daniel Fraga doubled to start the frame. He advanced to third on a grounder and scored on another ground ball. This one was off the bat of Collins Cuthrell and Fraga beat the throw home from Jacob Tanis.
Sam Eberle added a solo home run in the fifth to make it a brand new ballgame.
Florence tallied two runs in the seventh on a two-RBI single from Gaby Juarbe but Windy City rallied with two of their own off Ed Kohout (2-1) in the bottom half of the frame. Max White launched a solo home run to start the frame. Ransom LaLonde singled and Tyler Clark drew a walk. Coco Johnson bunted the runners over and the Freedom intentionally walked Mike Torres to load the bases.
Jonathan Garcia launched a deep drive to left and Andrew Godbold made a spectacular leaping catch to rob him of extra bases. A run scored on the sacrifice fly to tie the game but Godbold’s catch kept Florence alive in the contest. After Florence intentionally walked Austin Gallagher, Kohout retired Jacob Tanis to end the frame.
Per league rules, all doubleheader games are seven innings long. So the ballgame went to extra innings tied at four. Florence tallied two runs in the top of the eighth with two outs. Kyle Carter started the two-out rally with a walk. A dropped third strike allowed Cuthrell to reach. Godbold drew a walk to load the bases for Justin Harris.
Harris delivered with a single to right-center, driving in two runs and putting Florence up 6-4.
Kohout earned the win as he tossed a scoreless bottom of the eighth to wrap up game one.
In game two Tony Vocca (2-0) and Jake Fisher (1-4) went toe-to-toe for five innings each of scoreless baseball.
Florence broke through against Fisher in the sixth, scoring four runs. Carter started the rally with a lead-off double. Cuthrell singled him to third and Godbold singled Carter home to make it 1-0 in favor of Florence. A Sam Eberle single loaded the bases with nobody out and one run in. With one away, Steve Carrillo singled home two runs to make it 3-0. Then Eberle scored on a wild pitch for some more insurance.
Windy City hit back-to-back homers off Vocca in the bottom of the sixth. But Jason Postill came in and got the final two outs of the frame.
Ethan Gibbons worked a scoreless seventh to earn his first save of the year.
With the doubleheader sweep the Freedom earn their second consecutive road series victory. They won two road series in all of 2014.
Florence is off on Monday but they return to action on Tuesday as they visit the Rockford Aviators at 7:35 p.m. eastern time. Chuck Weaver (2-1, 3.74 ERA) takes the hill for Florence. Fans can tune in at http://mixlr.com/florencefreedom/.
In Saturday’s game, Florence took an early 5-0 lead but could not hold on in an 8-6 loss to the ThunderBolts.
Windy City scored four runs in the seventh to take the lead for good against the Freedom bullpen.
Florence tallied a run in the first without recording a hit as Daniel Fraga drew one of his three walks on the day. He stole second, moved to third on a grounder and scored on a Kyle Carter grounder. Carter reached when Mike Torres booted the ball for an error but he was doubled off on a line drive to right by Andrew Godbold to end the inning.
The Freedom scored four runs with two outs in the third off Windy City starter Danny Jimenez. With two outs and nobody on, Carter reached on an error. Godbold tripled him home and Collins Cuthrell doubled in Godbold. Sam Eberle singled Cuthrell in and advanced to second on the throw home. Eberle came around to score on an Ozzy Gonzalez single.
Up 5-0 after three innings, the Freedom seemed in control.
But the ThunderBolts got to Coleman Stephens for three unearned runs in the fourth. Jonathan Garcia reached on an error. Two outs later Marquis Riley singled. Then Max White doubled home both runners to make the score 5-2. Ransom LaLonde singled home White to cut the Freedom lead to 5-3.
Stephens pitched very well after that, shutting down the ThunderBolts in the fifth and sixth innings. Florence added an insurance run to go up 6-3 in the seventh on a Cuthrell RBI single.
But the bottom of the seventh proved to be Florence’s undoing. With one out, Coco Johnson reached on a bloop double. He stole third and Mike Torres singled him home. That was it for Stephens who picked up a no-decision, scattering 10 hits over six and a third innings, allowing five runs (two earned) and striking out four.
From Freedom Communications