SLIPPERY ROCK — For Florence, it all starts at the top.

In Monday's Frontier League matchup at Slippery Rock, the top three hitters in the Freedom's lineup did the bulk of the damage that added up to a 9-3 victory over the Sliders.

Greg Stone, Reggie Watson and Ryan Basham combined for eight of Florence's 12 hits and added four RBI and five runs scored to the mix.

That trio opened the game with a walk, single and two-run double off Sliders starter Nick Tracy.

A wild pitch moved Basham to third and a fielder's choice off the bat of Beau Blacken brought him home and staked Florence to an early 3-0 lead.

"That's been (Tracy's) biggest problem: getting out of the first and second innings," said Slippery Rock manager Greg Jelks. "After the third inning, he settled in."

In the third, the Freedom (17-21) tacked on two more runs.

With runners at second and third and one out, Tim Grogan lofted a sacrifice fly RBI and Josh Lex followed with a run-scoring double to make it 5-0.

In the meantime, Florence starter Josh Bruns (2-0) had not surrendered a hit until Jason Curry and D.J. Dixon opened the fifth inning with consecutive doubles.

Ryley Westman dropped a sacrifice bunt to send Dixon to third before he scored on an RBI groundout off the bat of Cy Donald to make it 5-2.

Tracy (0-4) left the game after seven innings, but he kept the Freedom bats in check after a rough start, allowing three hits and no runs over his final four innings. He struck out five and walked two.

Brian Baxter took over in relief to start the eighth inning and Florence posted a four-run frame — highlighted by a two-run single by Stone — to open a 9-3 advantage. The Sliders committed a pair of errors that kept the frame alive.

"We're still getting settled in with these guys. I like what I've seen, but we're still making mistakes," said Jelks. "When you're giving a team 30, 35 outs, you're going to get beat."

The Sliders close out their series against Florence today at 7:05 p.m. and will hold a postgame fireworks celebration.

Florence 302 000 040—9 12 0Slippery Rock 000 020 010—3 4 3Josh Bruns, Jon Troop (6, 3 K, 0 BB), Mark Janszen (8, 1 K, 0 BB), Mike Honce (9, 1 K, 0 B) and Josh Lex; Nick Tracy, Brian Baxter (8, 1 K, 1 BB), Rhett Parker (8, 0 K, 1 BB) and Ryley Westman.

W: Bruns (4 K, 3 BB).

L: Tracy (5 K, 2 BB).

Florence (17-21): Greg Stone 2-1B, 2 RBI; Reggie Watson 4-1B; Ryan Basham 1B, 32B, 2 RBI; Beau Blacken 1B, RBI; Tim Grogan SFRBI; Josh Lex 2-2B, RBI; Joe Holland 1B; Tony Perez RBI

Slippery Rock (10-28): Casey Bowling SFRBI; Jon Dandridge 2B; Jason Curry 2B; D.J. Dixon 2B, RBI; Ryley Westman 2B; Cy Donald RBI

Today: Florence at Slippery Rock, 7:05 p.m.