The Florence Freedom pounded out 16 hits and rolled to a hotly-contested 8-1 win over the host Kalamazoo Kings in Frontier League baseball action Monday night at Homer Stryker Field in Kalamazoo, Mich.

Tempers flared during the game, eventually resulting in a benches-clearing incident in the seventh inning. When the dust had settled, four members of the Freedom ball club were ejected.

The disagreement began in the top of the sixth inning after Florence catcher Matt Hackney hit a two-run home run to give the Freedom a 5-0 advantage. Hackney’s reaction to his first home run of the season is apparently what led to his heated exchange with Kalamazoo catcher Mike Russell when Hackney crossed home plate. Freedom manager Jamie Keefe then became embroiled in an argument with first base umpire Bill Parker. That led to Keefe’s ejection from the game, his first of the 2008 season.

The situation settled down until the bottom of the seventh when Florence pitcher Andy Clark (6-1), who was working on a two-hit shutout, hit Kalamazoo shortstop Kyle Kmiecik in the helmet with a pitch. Clark was immediately ejected along with acting manager Collin Martin and Hackney. Both benches emptied but order was restored with no punches thrown.

The Freedom jumped on Kings left-hander Trent Lare (5-3) with a pair of runs in the second on RBI singles by left fielder Ryan Basham and Hackney. Second baseman Billy Mottram doubled home a run in the third to extend the Freedom advantage to 3-0. Meanwhile, Clark breezed through the first six innings, allowing only a pair of singles with nine strikeouts and no walks. After Hackney’s home run in the sixth, another run scored on Garth McKinney’s RBI double off reliever Jimmy Holm to build the Freedom advantage to 6-0.

Clark retired Kings left fielder Simon Williams on a ground ball to short to begin the seventh, and then walked first baseman Destan Makonnen. The rookie right-hander from Louisville, Ky., then tried to come inside to Kmiecik when the pitch caught the right-handed batter in the side of the helmet. After the fireworks quieted down, right-hander Yosandy Ibanez was summoned from the bullpen to take over on the mound with one out and two runners on base. Two ground ball outs ended the inning with the Freedom still on top 7-0.

Ibanez worked a 1-2-3 eighth inning and turned it over to right-hander Cody Castle for the ninth. Russell led off the ninth with his 17th home run of the season to end the Freedom shutout bid. Castle then sat down the next three batters in order.

With the win, Florence (33-29) evened the series at a game apiece. The third-place Freedom now trail front-running Kalamazoo (38-24) by five games in the East Division heading into the series finale at 7:05 p.m. EDT Tuesday at Homer Stryker Field. The Freedom will send left-hander Chris Ingoglia (4-5) to the mound against Kalamazoo ace right-hander John Brownell (9-1).