FREEDOM WIN 2025 

45+ CHAMPIONSHIP 

Championship Recap

The 45+ season came to an end on Wednesday night, but that is not the only thing that came to an end.  The Rapids streak of not losing a game came to an end, as well as, their time on the throne.  The Freedom played their best baseball in the semi-finals and championship game winning 14-4 over the Rapids and adding a fourth championship in five years.  Bret Fink was the starting pitcher for the Freedom while the Rapids stuck with their formula that had been working all season, Sonny Nolan on the bump.  The Freedom came out and took advantage of Rapid errors scoring three runs in the first.  Fink held the Rapids scoreless over two innings to take a 3-0 lead into the 3rd.  In the 3rd inning the Freedom scored 5 more runs as the top of the order caught fire.  Coston continued his claim to be MVP with hot hitting and multiple RBI's.  In the bottom of the 3rd the Raids put two on the board from hits from Hedden, Nolan and RBI hits from Fadely and Foland.  In the 4th the Rapids added 2 more runs on hits by Lee and Frickey.  At the end of 4 it was 8-4 and it was starting to look like the Rapids would start one on their rallies.  But that all changed when MVP Jimmy Smith entered as pitcher for the Freedom in the 5th.  Smith showed why he was the MVP giving up only 3 hits over five innings, striking out 5 and trusting his defense to make the plays behind him.  The Freedom scored 3 more runs in the 7th with hits from Fink, Vazquez, Coston, Sakwi, and Scott Smith and 3 more runs in the 9th to take a the championship 14-4.   Congratulations to Manager Kelly Holm and the Freedom and to all the 45+ teams for a great and competitive season.

JIMMY SMITH NAMED

PLAYOFF AND CHAMPIONSHIP MVP