The Florence Freedom, presented by Titan Mechanical Solutions, utilized stellar starting pitching from Steve Hagen and another big night at the plate to complete the sweep of Joliet with a, 10-1, victory on Saturday night at UC Health Stadium.
Hagen (1-0) didn’t allow a hit until the sixth inning when R.J. Thompson lined a single up the middle in what turned out to be one of just two hits the Freedom (3-0) pitching staff would allow all night long. Hagen’s first outing of the season spanned seven innings, he allowed one hit and no runs while striking out eight and walking just one.
Florence wasted no time jumping all over the Slammers’ (0-3) starting pitcher, Liam O’Sullivan (0-1), batting around for the fourth time in three games in the bottom of the first inning. Leadoff man, Brandon Pugh, singled to right field on the first pitch of the game and stole second before Jose Brizuela delivered an RBI-single to put the Freedom in front, 1-0. Andre Mercurio then reached on an error, and Xavier Turner doubled to left field, scoring Brizuela to extend the lead to two. Jordan Brower then plated Mercurio with an RBI-groundout and Keivan Berges drove in Turner with a triple off the base of the wall in left-center, giving Florence a 5-0 lead after one frame.
In the bottom of the fourth, Pugh reached on an error by Joliet second baseman, Ridge Hoopi-Haslam, and promptly stole second to setup another Freedom rally. When Connor Crane worked a walk, Freedom manager, Dennis Pelfrey called a double steal to get a pair of runners in scoring position. Brizuela followed by working a walk to load the bases for Mercurio, who proceeded to make the score, 7-0, courtesty a two-run sacrifice fly. Thompson made a sensational running catch on the play, but collided with the wall and fell down, allowing Crane to score behind Pugh from second.
After another Pugh single in the home half of the sixth, Mercurio laced a line drive into the Freedom bullpen in right field, his first homer of the year, making it 9-0.
Joliet would break up the shutout in the top of the eighth, pulling within eight, 9-1, thanks to an Alex Krupa RBI groundout.
Crane then put the Freedom in front by the eventual final score, 10-1, when he launched his first long ball of the season, a missle that stayed just inside the foul poul in left field.
The Freedom now have two days off before heading to Windy City on Tuesday for a three game series with the ThunderBolts at Standard Bank Stadium. Joliet will take on the Evansville Otters on Tuesday in their home opener at Joliet Route 66 Stadium.
Florence Freedom