Freedom first baseman, Hunter Schantz, sent a ball sailing over the center field fence in the seventh inning that ultimately clinched a 2-1 Patriot victory over Easton last Thursday.

“In the past, they walked me, so I was assuming they’d do that again, but I knew her low outside pitch is her go-to, so I was trying to focus on making contact,” Schantz said. “It feels good. Personally, I knew it would be a tough game.”

Two tough pitchers, Shayla Peterson for Freedom and Maegan Kavanagh for Easton, would prove to make it a close one.

“I know she’s a good pitcher, but I know I have to stay strong,” said Peterson. “We believe we can beat anyone, and we’re striving for that.”

Peterson had a single that fell near the first base line and rolled into right field in the top of the fourth inning, but the Patriots were unable to capitalize on that.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Red Rovers scored their first and only run of the game on a sacrifice fly to left field.

In the top of the sixth inning, Alexis Szaro doubled, and Peterson’s bunt moved Szaro to third base.

“I know she throws outside, so I took my hands to the ball and took it to right field,” Szaro said.

Julia Roman’s hit to center scored Szaro to tie the game.

“I knew I had to bust my butt with Julia’s hit,” said Szaro.

When Schantz put the Patriots ahead in the top of the seventh, it would be up to Peterson and the Patriot defense to put the game away.

“You just gotta relax,” Peterson said.

A grounder, fielded by Szaro, ended the game, and the Patriots remained undefeated.

“It feels great,” said Szaro. “We all knew we could do it. We’re taking it game-by-game, pitch-by-pitch.”