With hopes of sweeping a quick two-game series, the Florence Freedom, presented by Titan Mechanical Solutions, dropped a, 4-2, contest with the Gateway Grizzlies on Thursday night at UC Health Stadium.
The Freedom (42-28) raced out to an early one-run lead facing righty Reign Letkeman (3-2), courtesy a sacrifice-fly from Ryan Rinsky after an earlier double from Luis Pintor.
Daniel Williams (3-3) did not have his best stuff in his ninth start for the Freedom.
The pitch to contact hurler surrendering eight hits and three runs over his 3.2 innings of work on Thursday. Gateway (29-38) got to the right-hander in the top of the fourth, plating all three runs on four hits as the visitors took a, 3-1 edge.
Shawon Dunston Jr. plated the first run with a sacrifice-fly, before Gunnar Buhner cleared the bases with a two-out, two-run double.
Hayden Wheeler would take over from there, fanning the only batter he faced in the frame to keep the deficit at two.
Florence used four pitchers after Williams, who finished with a final line of 3.2 innings, eight hits allowed leading to three earned runs, with no walks and two whiffs in the abbreviated start defeat.
The home team would make it a one-run game in the fifth.
Austin Wobrock laced an RBI-double to score Connor Crane from first following his hit-by-pitch, the score moving to, 3-2, visitors.
With Ryan Mordecai on the hill in the eighth, Grizzlies catcher, Zak Taylor unleashed his first homer of the year, a line-drive over the wall in left as Gateway reclaimed a two-run advantage at, 4-2.
Geoff Bramblett was the fifth pitcher used by the Grizzlies in the finale, emerging in search of his eighth save in the bottom of the ninth. Bramblett sealed the Freedom defeat, facing four hitters and striking out a pair en route to slamming the door.
Starter, Letkeman earned the win, finishing five frames and allowing two runs, both earned, on five hits with one walk and two strikeouts.
The Freedom will look to get back on track on Friday when they continue their homestand, as the Washington Wild Things invade UC Health Stadium for a weekend four-game series.
Florence will throw southpaw, George Faue (0-1, 3.85) in game one, opposite righty, Nick Gallagher (1-1, 6.39) of the Wild Things with first pitch slated for 7:05 p.m.
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, KY. The Freedom can be found online at florencefreedom.com, or by phone at (859) 594-4487.
Florence Freedom
