FLORENCE, Ky. — The River City Rascals were unable to complete their comeback on Wednesday night, falling 6-4 to the Florence Freedom in Game 2 of the Frontier League Championship Series. The loss tied the best-of-five series at a game apiece. Caleb Lopes led the Freedom with four hits on the night, while Nick Anderson homered and drove in two runs for the Rascals.
The Freedom jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, scoring three runs in the first inning, including RBI doubles from Lopes and Brandon Pugh. The Rascals got a run back in the top of the second, on an RBI double from Anderson, before the Freedom struck for three more in the third, getting two sacrifice flies and an RBI infield single from Ryan Rinsky.
Trailing 6-1, the Rascals rallied for two in the seventh, scoring on a double play ball and an RBI single from Braxton Martinez. Anderson led-off the top of the ninth with a solo shot, the first of his professional career, before Freedom closer Karl Craigie retired the side to finish off a six-out save, his third of the postseason.
Freedom starter Scott Sebald (2-0) allowed just a single run over six innings with nine strikeouts. Rascals starter Taylor Ahearn (1-1) suffered the loss, allowing six runs, five earned, over 2 1/3 innings. The Rascals’ bullpen combined for 5 2/3 scoreless innings in the loss.
After an off-day Thursday, the series shifts to O’Fallon for Game 3 on Friday night. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m. CDT from CarShield Field, with Austin Dubsky expected to take the mound for the Rascals, opposite rookie Zak Spivy for the Freedom. Tickets are available here.
