The Florence Freedom, presented by Titan Mechanical Solutions, let two early one-run leads slip away and failed to take advantage of numerous run-scoring opportunities, falling by a final score of 3-2 in Game Two of the Frontier League Championship Series on Wednesday night at Boomers Stadium.
Collins Cuthrell hit a solo home run to left field in the top of the first inning off Kagen Hopkins, giving the Freedom (3-3) a 1-0 lead. The Boomers (5-1) tied the score in the home half against Jordan Kraus (0-1), getting a bases-loaded sacrifice fly from Josh Gardiner.
But after Florence regained the lead in the top of the second on a RBI-double to right-center by Keivan Berges, Schaumburg took its first lead of the game in the bottom of the inning. Rock Shoulders led off with a double, and after advancing to third on a wild pitch, scored the tying run on a James Keller sacrifice fly to left field, and David Harris later delivered a go-ahead RBI-single to right field for a 3-2 Boomers lead.
Kraus rebounded to retire 10 of 11 batters from the end of the second through the fifth inning, before finishing after five and two-thirds innings.
The Freedom would load the bases with less than two out in both the third and fourth innings but failed to deliver hits in each situation, and additionally left the tying run stranded at second base in the fifth and the sixth.
Following just three innings of work from Hopkins as the starter, Derek DeYoung (1-0) earned the win in early relief for Schaumburg after teaming up with Rob McDonnell, Kyle Westwood and Jake Joyce for a combined six innings of scoreless relief.
Meanwhile, a bullpen trio of Mike Anthony, Jack Fowler and Jamal Wilson kept Florence in the game, stranding a total of eight Boomers baserunners over the final four innings.
Taylor Oldham delivered a two-out double to left field in the top of the ninth and represented the tying run, but Joyce struck out Cuthrell for the game’s final out, putting the Freedom behind two games to none in the best-of-five championship series.
The Freedom look to stay alive as the series moves to Florence for Game Three on Friday, with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at UC Health Stadium. Steve Hagen will start on the mound for Florence against Schamburg’s Joe Hauser.
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