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Freedom defeat Grizzlies on the road again, go for series sweep today


Balls carried off hitters’ bats on Saturday at GCS Ballpark, as the Florence Freedom, presented by Titan Mechanical Solutions, rode three home runs and a strong start from Tony Vocca to a 6-2 win over the Gateway Grizzlies.

Jordan Brower opened the scoring with a solo home run off Grizzlies (10-29) starter Will Landsheft (2-4) in the top of the fourth inning. The home run was Brower’s third of the season, and his second of the year at GCS Ballpark. The following inning, Jose Brizuela and Andre Mercurio drew consecutive walks with two out. Collins Cuthrell then drove a Landsheft pitch over the left-field wall for a three-run homer, extending the Freedom (26-12) to 4-0.

The Grizzlies would trim Florence’s lead in half in the bottom of the fifth, as Matt Hearn followed up base hits by Chase Simmons and Max Bartlett with a two-run bloop single to left-center field off Vocca (5-2). Though he allowed six runs and three walks over six innings, Vocca went on to record his sixth quality start of the season, stranding baserunners by inducing weak contact and benefitting from strong, error-free defense by the Freedom.

With Jackson Sigman on the mound in relief for Gateway in the top of the sixth, and after Austin Wobrock had doubled and advanced to third on a groundout, Daniel Fraga hit a high infield chopper that allowed Wobrock to score in spite of a drawn-in infield. Jose Brizuela added the final run of the night for Florence with a no-doubt solo home run, his team-leading seventh of the season, leading off the seventh.

Keivan Berges, Patrick McGrath, Evan Bickett and Michael Maiocco combined for three innings of scoreless relief. Berges encountered a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the seventh, but a snap throw by catcher Garrett Vail nabbed Cody Livesay at third, and Berges struck out Craig Massoni swinging to strand both remaining runners.

Collecting one hit each in the game, Fraga and Wobrock extended their hitting streaks to twelve and ten games, respectively.

The Freedom will play for the series sweep on Sunday, with first pitch scheduled for 6:05 p.m. at GCS Ballpark. Left-hander Marty Anderson (5-1) will start for the Freedom against Gateway right-hander Ja’Vaun West (1-3).

The Florence Freedom are members of the independent Frontier League and play all home games at UC Health Stadium located at 7950 Freedom Way in Florence.

Florence Freedom


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