Every out mattered in Freedom’s 7-6 victory over Emmaus as the Hornets chipped away at the Patriots’ 7-0 lead on April 3 at Freedom.

Emmaus had the bases loaded in the sixth inning when a run was saved on a throw from Freedom third baseman Maia D’Amico to catcher Brianna Cole.

“That was a big play there,” said Cole. “Looking at the score at the end of the game, it would’ve been a tied game, but I know [Maia’s] smart in the game, and she has a good arm, so even with that runner being close, I knew she had the out.”

Patriot pitcher Alexis Acevedo was working toward a shut out until Brianna Amey knocked a 2 RBI single to right field.

“Being the catcher and a leader on the team, it’s kind of my role to calm our teammates down, especially when things start getting crazy like that, so I was letting [Alexis] know she was doing great,” Cole said. “She was throwing strikes. They just started hitting her, and that was not on her at all. She just needed to keep throwing her game.”

Mason Roselli’s double to the center field fence cleared the bases for the Hornets, making it a two-run game.

Cole made another trip to the circle when Brooke Rummel went in to relieve Acevedo.

“This has been, I think, her second varsity game pitching,” said Cole, “and I was talking to her and letting her know she’s got this and don’t let all the outside stuff get in her head.”

Rummel forced a grounder to end the inning.

“Lex was throwing drops and curves, and she got us through five innings,” said Freedom coach Michele Laubach, “so we always say that’s our game plan to bring in the righty who throws a little harder, the typical closer to shut the game down.”

The Patriots scored two runs in the first inning on a 2 RBI single by Daniela Guzzo after D’Amico was hit by a pitch and Madison Glick hit a double.

In the second inning, Siara Gonzalez, Rummel, and Glick had a base hit apiece, Cole doubled, and the Pates were ahead, 5-0.

In a one-two-three third inning for Acevedo, infielders Kate Miller, Glick, and Gonzalez turned a double play for the last out.

Rummel’s hard hit double to center field scored two more runs for the Patriots in the fifth inning, and Cole had her second double of the day in the sixth.

“I felt the pop more off the bat, and it felt like a better hit coming off. It was at a really stressful point. We can’t leave it down to the last inning. Going up to bat with two outs, I’m focusing on getting on base because I know we have a lot of good hitters after me.”

Emmaus scored a run in the seventh inning and left two runners on base when Amey hit a grounder to D’Amico who threw it to Gonzalez to end the game.

“I knew it was a slow roller, so I had to charge it hard. My focus was getting a good throw to first base,” D’Amico said. “Our pitchers worked so hard the whole game, so we needed that last out.”