Liberty is 9-1 against Freedom since May of 2018, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Thursday. The Liberty Hurricanes will be playing at home against the Freedom Patriots at 6:00 p.m. Both teams come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Last Monday, Liberty never let their opponents score. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 2-0 win over Easton Area. The victory was just what Liberty needed coming off of an 8-2 defeat in their prior matchup.
Noah Gyauch-Quirk made a big impact no matter where he played. He kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 15 over six innings pitched. Gyauch-Quirk has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in four consecutive pitching appearances. Gyauch-Quirk was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 2-for-2.
In other pitching news, Michael Mariano Jr. looked comfortable as he pitched an inning while giving up no earned runs or hits (he also didn't allow any walks). He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up a single hit in three consecutive pitching appearances.
Gyauch-Quirk wasn't the only one making solid contact as two players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Paul Erfle, who went 1-for-2 with an RBI.
Meanwhile, Freedom scored the most runs they've had all season to find success on Tuesday. Everything went their way against East Stroudsburg North as Freedom made off with a 15-0 win. The high-scoring effort was just what Freedom needed considering they were shutout in their previous match.
Like Liberty, Freedom also got a great game from a two-way player: Matt Heineman. On the mound, he struck out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). Heineman was also big at the plate, going 2-for-2 with two RBI.
In other batting news, Freedom got a massive performance out of John Phillips, who went 3-for-3 with three runs, three doubles, and two RBI. Ryan Kullman was another key contributor, scoring three runs while going 2-for-2.
Liberty's victory bumped their record up to 5-3. As for Freedom, the win got them back to even at 4-4.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both teams have some strikeout artists on the roster. Liberty has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Freedom struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.2. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
