The Florence Freedom took the series finale with the Washington Wild Things by a final score of 8-5 on Sunday.
The eight runs scored by the Freedom were the most runs they’ve scored since they plated 12 against Schaumburg the game before the All-Star break. It was also more runs then they’d scored in their previous three games combined.
With the victory the Freedom snapped a three-game losing streak and a five-game losing streak at CONSOL Energy Park.
Florence scored five runs in the second inning to take a commanding lead and hung on from there to win. Sam Eberle got things started with a double off Luke Wilkins (5-3). One out later Ozzy Gonzalez singled him home. After Travis Weaver reached on an error and Steve Carrillo walked, Daniel Fraga singled home two runs. Zac Mitchell followed with a two-RBI single of his own to make it 5-0 in favor of Florence.
Andrew Godbold crushed his second homer of the season in the third to extend the lead to 6-0.
Maxx Garrett responded with his second home run of the series in the bottom of the third. Then Carter Bell launched a three-run homer in the fourth to cut the Freedom lead to 6-4.
But Gonzalez hit his first professional home run in the sixth, a two-run shot to put Florence up 8-4.
Washington pushed across another run in the seventh but a combination of Cody Gray, Austin Delmotte, Pete Levitt (3-2), Zach Wendorf and Chuck Weaver was enough for the Freedom to hang on for the victory. Weaver earned his first professional save with a scoreless ninth.
The Freedom have two off days before they return home on Wednesday to take on the Normal CornBelters in a scheduled doubleheader. First pitch of game one is set for 5:35 p.m. Between games Jose Canseco will participate in a home run derby presented by Save Discount Drugs. Details and tickets are here.
Fans who can’t make the game can tune in at http://mixlr.com/florencefreedom/.
In Saturday’s game, Maxx Garrett hit a walk-off two run home run in the 12th inning as Washington beat the Freedom by a score of 3-2.
It was Garrett’s first hit since the All-Star break and snapped a 0-40 stretch for Washington catchers at the plate.
Florence took the early lead in the fourth inning as Sam Eberle drove in Zac Mitchell with a sacrifice fly.
Patrick McGrath was outstanding on the mound for the Freedom, going five and two thirds innings of shutout ball, allowing only one hit as he tallied eight strike outs.
Washington rallied in the seventh inning against Florence reliever Jason Postill. Austin Wobrock’s two-out RBI single scored David Popkins to tie the game at one.
Postill bounced back to toss a scoreless eighth. Ethan Gibbons pitched two shutout innings and Seth Harvey managed to hold the Wild Things scoreless in the 11th despite Washington getting a runner at second with nobody out per international rules. Harvey was helped out by Collins Cuthrell throwing out Daniel Poma at the plate to start the inning on a Matt Ford single.
Florence had plenty of opportunities to score but left 13 men on base in the game. In the 12th inning Mitchell drove in Steve Carrillo to give the Freedom a 2-1 lead.
Ed Kohout (3-3) entered the game in the bottom of the 12th. He recorded two outs and for the second straight night the Freedom were one out away from victory.
But for the second straight night it was not to be as Garrett went yard for his second homer of the year.
From Freedom Communications