Aviators, Grizzlies Split in Pair of 3-2 Games
July 7, 2015 - Frontier League (FL)
Rockford Aviators News Release
Loves Park, ILLINOIS - The Rockford Aviators and Gateway Grizzlies met up at Aviators Stadium Tuesday night to finish a June 28th contest suspended by rain and then kick off their 3rd series of the year. The Grizzlies took the completion game by a final of 3-2 courtesy of a walkoff hit by Madison Beaird, but the Aviators flipped the script in Game 2, upending the Grizz by the same score.
Play picked up in the top of the 11th of the contest started on June 28th at GCS Ballpark, and neither team was able to break through in the 1st inning of international rules. Madison Beaird put an end to that though in the bottom of the 12th, sending an infield single to the right side to score Rolando Gomez and earn a walkoff win for Gateway, who was acting as the home team in the day's first contest.
In Game 2, a 7-inning affair in which the Aviators reassumed the mantle of the home side, it was Roberto Padilla taking to the hill for the Rockford boys. Padilla turned in a gutsy performance, scattering 9 hits over 4 innings and getting the Gateway side to strand 9.
Padilla gave up a tally in the 2nd, but the Aviators got the bats going to back him up in the 3rd. Anthony Renteria led that inning off with a double and would score when the Grizzlies committed multiple throwing errors trying to retire the next batter, Justin Fox, on a groundball. The Aviators would rack up 2 more hits and 2 more runs in the inning, with Brian Bistagne bringing home Fox on a fielder's choice and scoring himself on a wild pitch.
The Aviator relief corps was magnificent to seal the victory. David Wayne Russo, Matt Frahm, and Colby Holmes combined to throw 3 shutout innings and help the team earn win number 28 this year. Russo got his 2nd W in the effort, and Holmes was able to notch save number 4 by facing 4 and striking out 2 in the final inning.
The Aviators and Grizzlies meet again tomorrow at 12:05 pm at Aviators Stadium. For tickets, call 815-885-2255 or email tickets@rockfordaviators.com.
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