FL Florence Y'alls

Freedom Storm Back to Steal Game One from Gateway

Published on June 9, 2018 under Frontier League (FL)
Florence Y'alls News Release


SAUGET, Il - Despite falling behind by five after two frames, the Florence Freedom, presented by Titan Mechanical Solutions, scored eight unanswered runs in a heart-stopping, 8-5, victory over the Gateway Grizzlies on Friday at GCS Credit Union Ballpark in Sauget, IL.

With Florence (10-14) trailing, 5-4, and down to their last out in the top of the eighth, Keivan Berges lined a missile into the gap in right-center off Gateway (11-14) reliever Ryan McSweeney (1-1) scoring Austin Wobrock from second to knot the score at five. Andre Mercurio then gave the Freedom their first lead of the night, plating Berges with a sharp single to right before taking second as the Grizzlies attempted to gun-down the go-ahead run at the plate. One batter later, Xavier Turner launched his first home run of year, a seed that sailed over the wall in left as the Freedom took an, 8-5, lead they would not relinquish.

Johnathon Tripp (1-0) took the ball in the bottom of the seventh and was masterful over three shutout innings of relief. The power right-hander allowed just one hit and tallied five strikeouts en route to his first victory of the season.

Gateway started the scoring in the bottom of the first inning, taking a, 1-0, lead courtesy a Matt Gonzalez RBI-ground-out that scored Artemis Kadkhodaian who singled and advanced to third on a Cody Livesay double. The Grizzlies would tack on four more runs off Freedom starter, Chuck Weaver in the second, sending eight men to the plate in the frame. Justin Ellison supplied the power, following a Terry McClure single with a towering home run to right before a trio of singles accounted for two more runs as the score was, 5-0, Grizzlies through two innings.

Weaver would ultimately settle in, hurling four consecutive scoreless frames after the four-run second. The right-hander finished the night having allowed five runs, all earned on seven hits with four strikeouts and no walks over six innings pitched.

Still behind by five in the top of the fifth, Florence finally broke through on Grizzlies starter, Dalton Shalberg. After striking out Chandler Rodriguez to start the frame, Shalberg issued a pair of walks to Berges and Mercurio. When a wild pitch allowed both base runners to move up ninety feet, Shalberg opted to intentionally walk Turner to face Jacob Wark. Wark responded by lacing a bases clearing triple to center before racing in to score on a second wild pitch from Shalberg as the Freedom pulled within one at, 5-4.

Shalberg would exit after five innings having surrendered four earned runs on five hits with four walks and eight strikeouts in the no-decision.

These two teams will collide for game two of a four-game set at GCS Credit Union Ballpark tomorrow. Freedom righty Cody Gray will oppose southpaw Trevor Lubking of the Grizzlies with first pitch slated for 7:05 p.m. CT.

The Florence Freedom are members of the Independent Frontier League and play all home games at UC Health Stadium located at 7950 Freedom Wayin Florence, KY. The Freedom can be found online at florencefreedom.com, or by phone at (859) 594-4487.

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Frontier League Stories from June 9, 2018


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