The Florence Freedom allowed a four-run, five-hit, two-error seventh inning that propelled the Schaumburg Boomers to a sweep with a 6-2 victory.
Despite Patrick McGrath’s quality start and a pair of one-run leads, the game unraveled for the Freedom (6-11) in the seventh inning. Leading 2-1 after a Collins Cuthrell sacrifice fly in the top half of the inning, Ino Petron lined a single to right field that got by Andrew Godbold, allowing Petron to take two extra bases. With the tying run at third and nobody out, Florence called Pete Levitt out of the bullpen.
He forced a quick ground out, but Petron came home on a passed ball during the next at bat. With one man on and two out, the Boomers (7-11) rattled off four consecutive base hits off of Levitt and Zach Wendorf and ended up taking a 5-2 lead before the bleeding finally stopped.
Schaumburg added one more run in the eighth and completed the sweep with a 6-2 win.
Florence took the first lead in the second inning. Richard Seigel, who ended the night 3-for-4, hit the first of his two doubles to lead off the inning. With two outs, he scored from third on an RBI single from Godbold.
Schaumburg evened the score at one in the bottom of the third, but the Freedom retook the lead in the top of the seventh. Austin Newell singled and moved to third on Richard Seigel’s base hit, setting up Cuthrell’s sacrifice fly.
From there, the Boomers took over the momentum in the bottom of the seventh and never looked back.
Seigel led the Florence offense with half of the team’s six hits. Since joining the team on Friday, he has added some punch to the cleanup spot, hitting .455 (10-for-22) with five doubles and four runs scored in six games.
Newell, Wenrich, and Godbold recorded the other three Freedom hits on the night. Levitt took the loss, allowing his first two runs of the season (12th appearance) in 2/3 of an inning. Zach Wendorf pitched the final 1 1/3 and also allowed two runs. McGrath tossed six innings of two-run ball as the Freedom’s starter, recording his third quality start of the season.
Mark Nelson and Patron both finished with two hits for Schaumburg. Jake Joyce allowed a run, but took the victory in relief of Schaumburg’s starter Gunnar Kines (six innings, three hits, one run).
The Freedom return home for a three-game set with the Traverse City Beach Bums beginning Friday, a 7:05 p.m. first pitch. Local product Zach Isler (1-1, 3.21 ERA) will make his first appearance at UC Health Stadium against Dylan Stoops (2-0, 1.01 ERA).
From Freedom Communications