Freedom baseball scores 7 in 2nd inning to earn first win of the season – lehighvalleylive.com

Due to several COVID-19 issues at other schools, the Freedom baseball team had to wait about two weeks longer than expected to get its season underway.

After dropping their season opener to rivals Liberty on Thursday, the Patriots responded in style on Saturday.

Freedom defeated Bethlehem Catholic 11-3 in an East Pennsylvania Conference Northampton County division matchup on Saturday afternoon.

The Patriots scored seven runs in the second inning to open up a lead that did not come under threat the rest of the game.

It feels great, theyve been working hard. To go a month of practicing with no games and no scrimmages, we werent allowed to scrimmage, is tough, Freedom coach Nick DAmico said.

Sophomores Peter Hrousis and Ryan Hoffman each singled for Freedom to start the top of the second inning. A sacrifice bunt from junior Michael Moniz advanced Hrousis to third and Hoffman to second.

After senior Luis Osorio lined out to second, the Pates were in jeopardy of leaving two runners in scoring position stranded. Then Hrousis scored when Golden Hawks pitcher Beckham McNally couldnt field Joey Fanceras grounder up the middle.

These kids have worked hard, they missed out on last year. To score a bunch of runs, I think it was all with two outs which was amazing. They just kept pounding the ball, DAmico said.

McNally walked seniors Nick Sciarra and Garret Glick which scored Hoffman and loaded the bases. Senior Nate Mikulski belted a line drive to right field that took one bounce before going over the wall for a ground rule double.

I hit it on more of a line drive. If I got under it a little more, that was probably gone, Mikulski said. Just the energy, we all came up big at some points. We all have to work as a team to do get things done.

A hit to left field from senior pitcher Zion Frailey drove home two before Mikulski scored the final run in the second off of an error.

Frailey got out of some early trouble as Bethlehem Catholic put a runner on third base in the first and second before the senior forced ground outs to end each inning.

You just have to have confidence in yourself when youre pitching. Just be really confident in executing pitches, thats a big thing, Frailey said. You just have to trust yourself and trust what youve been working on and practicing for over a month now.

After walking Golden Hawks seniors Matt Martinez and Jaden Clements to start the bottom of the third, Frailey struck out Anthony Martinez, forced junior Peter Martinez to pop out and Cole Hershman to ground out to keep the shutout in tact.

Those were big moments and he pitched very, very well, DAmico said of Frailey, who struck out five in five innings pitched. Being able to be in those tough spots early in the season and to trust your defense, he did a great job. He kept them off balance all day, thats a good team over there.

Frailey, Mikulski and Glick each tallied multiple RBIs for Freedom, who will now have to deal with a condensed schedule for the next month after having earlier games postponed.

We definitely have to come together as a team, Mikulski said. The (2019) season, we started out slow then, towards the end of the season, we got really hot. Hopefully that comes again this year.

Matt Martinez had Bethlehem Catholics lone extra-base hit, a seventh inning double which drove home sophomore Eric Wert to score the final run of the game.

The Golden Hawks dropped their third straight game after starting the season 3-1.

We talked about this in the preseason. We talked about whats going to happen when you lose two or three in a row. In the conference that were in, thats going to happen, Bethlehem Catholic coach Matt Corsi said.

Corsi, who is in his first year in charge after taking over for long-time coach Mike Grasso, will have four games this week to assess his teams response starting with a trip to Freedom on Monday.

There was no quit, they definitely didnt quit. I wanted to see them fight, I saw the fight. Now its about executing, Corsi said.

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Desmond Boyle may be reached at dboyle@lehighvalleylive.com.

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Freedom baseball scores 7 in 2nd inning to earn first win of the season - lehighvalleylive.com