sfoggi posted on July 01, 2011 21:41
WINTER PARK, Fla. (July 1, 2011) - The Orlando Freedom got a solid pitching performance and played strong defense to open up the month of July; but it was not enough as the club fell 4-2 on the road to the Winter Park Diamond Dawgs Friday night at Alfond Stadium.
Freedom starting pitcher Garrett Nuss (UCF) was nearly unhittable for 5 1/3 innings. His one mistake came in the first when Michael Danner (Polk St.) knocked a solo shot over the right field fence to give the Dawgs a 1-0 lead.
After the first, Nuss settled down giving up just one more hit over the next four innings. He finished the game allowing one run on two hits, while striking out seven and walking just three.
Unfortunately, the contest was marked by two strong pitching outings that left the score at 1-0 through six innings. The Freedom had a few opportunities to grab runs, collecting five hits through the first several innings of the game.
The Dawgs seemed to put things out of reach in the seventh collecting three more runs. The seventh inning scoring was led by a two-out bases loaded single by Ted Blackman (Coastal Carolina) to bring home two runs. The Freedom were sat down in the eighth, heading to the ninth down 4-0.
Orlando, as they have often been this season, made things interesting late. Jake Huxtable (Jacksonville) and Lawrence Pardo (Santa Fe) led off the ninth with singles, before Kevin Lehane (Jacksonville) roped a double to the right field fence to plate Huxtable.
A Matt Mattone (Palm Beach St.) ground ball to short to bring home Pardo was followed by Anthony Siler (Brevard CC) legging it out to first base to reach on an error. This brought Zack Houck (Jacksonville) to the plate as the go-ahead run with two outs. Houck was rung up on a called strike three that nearly short-hopped the catcher, and the Dawgs took the 4-2 victory.
Lehane led the Freedom hitters with two hits, as the Freedom outhit Winter Park eight to four. Orlando also finished its first nine-inning contest of the season without recording an error.
Nuss took the loss in the contest, while Chad Modomo (WV Wesleyan) earned his first victory on the season. Modomo went 7 1/3 allowing six scattered hits and no runs.
The Freedom will be back in action Saturday (July 2) on the road against the Leesburg Lightning. Following Saturday’s road game, the Freedom return home to Orel Hershiser Field Sunday (July 3) to battle it out with the Sanford River Rats. Game time Saturday is slated for 7 p.m.
Jake Snyder (Marshall University)