By David Kubota
NKyTribune reporter
Keivan Berges swatted a three-run homer Thursday night as the Florence Freedom snapped a two-game losing streak with a 6-1 win over the Traverse City Beach Bums at UC Health Stadium.
The Freedom plated a pair of unearned runs in the first inning and added another score in the second to build a 3-0 lead. With Jordan Brower and Xavier Turner aboard in the third, Berges launched his seventh homer of the season to extend the Florence advantage to 6-0.
Berges is hitting .310 this season and has 34 runs batted in.
On the mound, Florence starter Christian DeLeon allowed just one hit and struck out eight in seven scoreless innings. Sam Martin finished the game by pitching two innings, but he allowed two hits and a run in the ninth. Alexis Rivera spoiled the shutout attempt with an RBI double off Martin in the ninth.
The win allowed Florence to salvage the final game in the series with Traverse City, which pulled out a 9-7 victory over the Freedom on Wednesday. Rivera’s two-run homer in the top of the ninth inning snapped a 7-all tie and gave the Beach Bums the win.
Ricky Ramirez and Skyler Ewing — the Frontier League’s Player of the Week — each homered for Florence, but Traverse City belted five homers in the game.
The Freedom knotted the score at 7-all in the bottom of the eighth on Ewing’s two-run homer, setting the stage for Rivera’s winning blast in the top of the ninth.
Florence hits the road to meet the Joliet Slammers on Friday. First pitch is at 8:05 p.m. at Joliet Route 66 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.