Improving to 11-4 in series openers in 2019, the Florence Freedom, presented by Titan Mechanial Solutions, out-gunned the Schaumburg Boomers, 3-1, in a spectacular pitcher’s duel on Friday night at Boomers Stadium.
Florence (29-13) drew first blood, plating one run off Boomers (22-21) starter, Aaron Rozek (2-3) in the top of the fourth inning. Jackson Pritchard delivered an RBI-single that followed up a lead-off double by Ricky Ramirez Jr. as the score moved to, 1-0 visitors.
Adding to their advantage in the fifth, Ramirez Jr. pushed the Freedom ahead by a pair grounding a fielder’s choice to second with a drawn-in infield, Jimmy Galusky fired home too late as Caleb Lopes crossed the plate to make it a two-run game.
One more run would score in the frame, Pritchard again tallying the RBI with a fielder’s choice of his own that counted Andre Mercurio as the score became, 3-0.
Both runs in the frame were unearned, as a pair of Boomers errors helped Florence tack on the insurance runs in the inning.
Rozek finished his night with a quality start, going 6 innings while allowing 8 hits that lead to three runs, 1 earned with one walk and 7 strikeouts. The lefty would suffer his third loss of the season.
Freedom southpaw, Scott Sebald (2-0) was dominant in his eighth start, facing one over the minimum in his first five innings of work, a walk to the lead-off batter in the bottom of the first his only blemish. The bid for no-hit history would get disturbed in the sixth, Connor Oliver pulling a single to right-center for the first Schaumburg knock of the night.
A late rally by the Boomers added some drama in the ninth, when back-to-back doubles off Sebald made the score, 3-1. In search of his first complete game of the season, Sebald would step aside after 8.1 superb innings, handing the ball to Freedom closer, Johnathon Tripp who came on to collect his ninth save of the season.
Tripp delivered quickly, fanning Nick Oddo and Matt Rose to preserve the two-run victory. Tripp, who was named to his second All-Star game earlier in the afternoon, now matches Boomers closer, Connor Eller for most saves in the Frontier League with nine.
Sebald allowed one earned run on six hits with 1 walk and 5 whiffs. The win snapped a long string of no-decisions for the lefty, who tallied his second victory of the season.
The teams will collide in the middle-game on Saturday at Boomers Stadium. Florence trots out southpaw, Mike Castellani (4-1, 2.25) opposite lefty, Connor Reed (2-2, 2.57) for Schaumburg. First pitch is slated for 6:00 p.m. CST.
The Florence Freedom are members of the Independent Frontier League and play all homegames 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