The Midwest Sliders got off to a hot start and never looked back. They scored four runs in the top of the first inning to help them win their first game of the season nine to five.

Midwest lead off hitter Jonnie Knoble was hit by a pitch to lead off the game. After an infield hit from Rob Vernon Florence starter Liam Shanahan threw the ball away trying to pick off Vernon. Knoble was able to score from second on the error and Vernon went to third. After striking out the number three hitter, Troy Ferguson, Shanahan gave up a double to Lester Contreras. Contreras’ second RBI of the season gave Midwest a two to nothing lead. After another strike out, Bryan Vickers hit a two run home run, his first of the season, to extend the lead to four to nothing.

Florence came back with a solo home run from McKinney in the bottom of the second to cut the lead to four to one.

Midwest extended the lead as they got two runs in the top of the fourth from a two run single from Troy Ferguson scoring Robbie Hine and Jason Graham.

In the bottom of the fourth the hot hitting Molina singled after a leadoff fly out from Ryan Bashum. Molina stole second but was picked off on a quick move from pitcher Kyle Kearcher. The pickoff would prove to be costly as Salotti and Mckinney both walked. Welch singled to center field which scored Salotti and would have scored Molina. Humphrey struck out swinging to end the inning, leaving two runners on base.

Kearcher stuck out the side to pitch a perfect fifth inning before running into trouble in the sixth. Kearcher’s day was done after he gave up a RBI single to Mckinney as Florence cut the lead to seven to three. The Freedom were able to tally on one more run in the inning on a sacrifice fly from Ben Humphrey. The run was charged to starting pitcher Kyle Kearcher.

Florence would add one more run in the top of the ninth but it would not be enough. Rookie James Albury pitched three innings giving up only one run and striking out five in his frontier league debut as the Florence Freedom lost the game nine runs to five.

It was a sloppy day in the field for the Freedom as they totaled four errors throughout the game, two of those on pick off attempts by Liam Shanahan.

Kyle Kearcher, coming off a start in which he gave up four earned runs in only two and a third innings pitched well enough to earn his first win of the season. Kearcher went five and a third giving up three earned runs while striking out seven batters on exactly one hundred pitches.

The loss drops the Florence Freedom to 3-3 on the season.