SAUGET, Ill. — The Gateway Grizzlies scored five runs in the first two innings Friday night, but the Florence Freedom answered with eight unanswered en route to an 8-5 Gateway loss at GCS Credit Union Ballpark.
After a Matt Gonzalez RBI groundout scored Artemis Kadkhodaian in the first, the Grizzlies (11-14) opened the second inning with four straight hits, incuding a two-run home run from Justin Ellison in his first at-bat in Sauget. Joel McKeithan and Kevin Martier scored during the rally, and Gonzalez added a second RBI.
After that, though, it was all Florence (10-14). The Freedom scored four in the fifth and four more in the eighth for a comeback win.
Dalton Shalberg allowed four runs (all earned) in five innings with eight strikeouts. He did not factor in the decision. Ryan McSweeney (1-1) took the loss in relief.
Gateway and Florence will tangle again Saturday night in game two of a four-game series at GCS Credit Union Ballpark.
