Freedom’s softball team ended its game against Liberty the same way it started, with a home run, and defeated city rival Liberty, 12-2, on May 4 at DeSales University.

Liberty took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning on hits from Mikayla Seacor and Addy Smith.

“The last game we played, we played really, really well, but Liberty made every play possible,” said Freedom coach Jeff Pronovich, regarding the Patriots’ earlier season loss to the Hurricanes. “Today, we just said hit the ball hard, where it lies, it lies, so I was not worried at all in the beginning. Maybe a little nervous for those girls that were out there, but once they got through it, we were good.”

Freedom responded in the bottom of the first on a leadoff home run by Landry Guman and a 2 RBI hit down the right field line by winning pitcher Madison Bixler.

Liberty second baseman Ava Tomac made a nice play on the ground to end the inning.

In the second inning, the Hurricanes left the bases loaded when Freedom first baseman Christina Kish saved a run on a catch despite tripping and falling on her way to the ball.

Morgan Pavolko singled and Payton Besecker doubled for the Pates who took a 6-2 lead.

Liberty’s Abbie Benner replaced Addy Smith in the circle in the bottom of the fourth and came out with a one-two-three inning.

A miscommunication on the part of the Hurricanes allowed two more Freedom runs to score in the fifth inning, and Patriot senior Namelia Duro ended the game with a 3-run homer.

“The pitch was a little bit lower on the outside,” Duro said. “[Abbie Benner] likes to pitch that rise, so I was looking for earlier strikes that were lower that I could hit, and I saw that one coming, and I was like, I’m gonna swing on this one before I get those high ones.”

The game concluded the regular season for the Patriots, and the Hurricanes will have played their last game on May 5.

“It’s been really good,” said Pronovich. “I’ve had the privilege to coach a lot of really good girls. This group is special, top to bottom. There’s not a selfish kid on this team. It’s so fun to watch.”