BRUNS GOES THE DISTANCE, LEADS FREEDOM PAST EVANSVILLE 4-2

Rookie left-hander Josh Bruns improved to 4-0 with a complete-game, four-hit effort Monday night as the Florence Freedom posted a 4-2 win over the Evansville Otters at Bosse Field.

Bruns, a native of Versailles, Ohio, went the distance for the first time as a professional. Both Evansville runs off the former Northern Kentucky University star came on solo home runs by Otters catcher J.C. Field, his second and third long balls of the season.

At the plate, Florence (25-25) was limited to just one run on seven hits through the first seven innings by Evansville starter Michael Greenhouse. A two-out RBI single by right fielder Mike Wadowski in the second inning scored Beau Blacken with the first Freedom run of the night, and that lead stood up until Field connected for the first time with a two-out drive to right field in the fifth.

The game remained tied until the top of the eighth when the Freedom broke through against Otters reliever Jared Trout (1-2). With two outs and nobody on base, Blacken walked, Tim Grogan singled to left and Nick Salotti was hit by a pitch to load the bases. That brought up designated hitter Josh Lex, who promptly put his club back on top with a two-run single to center.

After Field’s second homer of the game made it a one-run game again heading into the ninth inning, the Freedom added an insurance run on Blacken’s two-out RBI single to center off Otters reliever Mike Bille.

Bruns retired the Otters in order in the ninth to lift his team to its second win in four tries on its current six-game road trip. The two teams will meet again at 8:05 p.m. EDT Tuesday at Bosse Field. Florence is undecided on its starting pitcher while Evansville (21-29) will go with right-hander Justin Jordan.