By David Kubota
NKyTribune reporter
The Florence Freedom managed just two hits Sunday night during a 4-0 loss to the Gateway Grizzlies at GCS Credit Union Ballpark.
The Grizzlies took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third after Artemis Kadkhodaian scored on an error by the shortstop. In the same frame, a sacrifice fly by Trae Santos plated another run and a Terry McClure RBI single put the Grizzlies up by three by the end of third.
In the fifth, a solo home run by Santos extended the Gateway lead to 4-0.
Florence’s Zach Kirby pitched six innings, allowing four earned runs. Gateway starter Max MacNabb limited the Freedom to two hits in six innings.
On Saturday, a seven-run first inning allowed the Freedom to stave off a ferocious comeback from the Grizzlies in an 8-7 win. The Freedom started fast, with Xavier Turner blasted a towering three-run homer to left field.
By the end of the first inning, Florence owned a commanding 7-0 lead. Grizzlies pitcher Trevor Lubking surrendered seven runs, six earned, on three hits with four walks, a hit batter and no strikeouts in his first loss of the year.
Ryan Rinsky delivered the eventual winning run in the fifth inning with a single to center off Ryan McSweeney as Florence moved in front by an 8-2 score.
The Grizzlies made it a one-run game in the bottom half of the fifth, sending eight men to the plate. Starter Cody Gray was pulled in favor of Tyler Gibson. Gray wound up with a final line of 4 1/3 innings, allowing seven runs, six earned, on seven hits with four walks and a trio of strikeouts.
Making his Freedom debut on the bump, right-hander Jake Haberer strung together two brilliant shutout innings of relief in the seventh and eighth, tallying three strikeouts and surrendering just one infield hit by Cody Livesay.
Jameson McGrane slammed the door in the ninth, fanning two en route to his second save of the season.
Florence, which defeated Gateway twice this weekend, concludes the four-game series Monday night.
David Kubota is a Scripps Howard Foundation intern at the NKyTribune this summer. He is a student at the University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media.