By David Kubota
NKyTribune reporter
Andre Mercurio went 3-for-4 and scored a pair of runs Wednesday night as the Florence Freedom snapped a 10-game losing streak with a 7-3 win over Southern Illinois at UC Health Stadium.
Before the first pitch, UC Health Stadium hosted the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce for the Business Professional Home Run Derby. Former Cincinnati Reds star Hal Morris faced off against fans and Chamber of Commerce members in the derby.
Possibly inspired by Morris’ presence at the stadium, Florence started strong and built a 4-0 lead after two innings.
Jacob Wark was 2-for-4 and drove in three runs for the Freedom, which bounced back from a 15-6 loss to the Miners the previous night. Florence finished with 11 hits and never trailed.
Keivan Berges added a pair of hits and scored twice for the Freedom, while Craig Lepre was 2-for-3 with two RBI.
Florence starter Steve Hagen scattered seven hits in six innings and allowed three earned runs. Reliever Marty Anderson pitched the final inning and held Southern Illinois hitless while collecting two strikeouts.
Florence and Southern Illinois will meet in the rubber game of the series Thursday night. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 at UC Health Stadium.
David Kubota is a Scripps Howard Foundation intern at the NKyTribune this summer. He is a student at the University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media.