GATEWAY OFFENSE GOES QUIET AS FREEDOM SNAP LOSING SKID

Sauget, Ill. - The Gateway Grizzlies trailed early and never took a lead as they mustered just three runs on five hits in Saturday night's 5-3 loss to the Florence Freedom at GCS Ballpark. Florence snapped a ten-game skid while the Grizzlies saw their four-game winning streak end. 

Freedom starter Cody Gray (1-0) retired the first nine batters in a row to start the game. Meanwhile, RHP Will Landsheft (1-4) was greeted in the first inning by Taylor Oldham's two-run homer to give Florence a quick 2-0 lead.  

In the fourth, Gateway (14-19) strung together three straight hits against Gray, including a game-tying two-RBI double from Craig Massoni. 

Florence (8-23) responded in the fifth by scratching across a run to take the lead. From that point, Gray wouldn't allow another run while the Freedom used three pitchers to shut out Gateway's offense in the final four frames. 

LISTEN: POSTGAME INTERVIEW WITH CRAIG MASSONI

RHP Davis Adkins went two scoreless innings while RHP Matt Pobereyko pitched a quick eighth and RHP Ethan Gibbons closed things out in the ninth inning for his fifth save of the season. 

The Freedom tacked on a run in the eighth and received an RBI single from Daniel Fraga in the ninth to make it 5-2. 

In the bottom half of the ninth, Blake Brown smashed his fifth dinger of the season to pull the Grizzlies with two runs. Gibbons retired the next two batters to end the game. 

The Grizzlies and Freedom square off in the rubber game of their three-game series at GCS Ballpark on Sunday evening. First pitch is at 6:05 p.m. Gateway sends RHP Trevor Richards (2-3, 3.22 ERA) to the mound against Florence LHP Patrick McGrath (1-3, 7.83 ERA). 

The game can be heard on the Grizzlies Radio Network, which airs Sunday online at www.GatewayGrizzlies.com/Radio. Sam Levitt and Matt Sabados have the call.