Bats Come Alive, Grizzlies Beat Lake Erie
August 13, 2025 - Frontier League (FL)
Gateway Grizzlies News Release
SAUGET, ILL. - The Gateway Grizzlies finally got their bats going again on Tuesday night, scoring 13 runs on 14 hits to beat the Lake Erie Crushers 13-6, snapping a three-game losing streak at Arsenal BG Ballpark.
The offense began right away against Lake Erie starter Jack Eisenbarger (8-3), as Gabe Holt led off the first inning with a walk, followed by a single from Jose Alvarez, one of four hits the all-star catcher would get in the game to tie a career-best. After a double-play grounder, D.J. Stewart crushed Eisenbarger's fastball over the left field wall for a 2-run homer, making the score 2-0 Gateway.
In the second inning, Sawyer Smith led off with a walk, went to second on a wild pitch, and scored on an RBI single by Mark Shallenberger to make it 3-0. Later in the inning, Holt reached base on an infield single to second baseman Davie Morgan with two outs, and an error on the same play brought home Shallenberger to make it 4-0, giving Gateway more runs in their first two innings than they had in three games over the weekend in Washington.
Meanwhile, on the mound, Gage Vailes had his stuff working, as the right-hander recorded his first eight outs in the contest via the strikeout, en route to fanning a career-best 10 over 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball. That run was scored by Lake Erie in the sixth as part of a two-run frame that made the score 5-2 at the time, but the Grizzlies would keep up the offensive pressure in the bottom of the same inning, scoring three runs on a bases-loaded walk by Cole Brannen, RBI fielder's choice by Holt, and RBI single by Alvarez, going ahead 8-2.
Gateway would pile on two more runs in the seventh on a two-run double by Alvarez to go up 10-2, and completed their scoring with three more runs in the eighth inning on RBI singles by Edwin Mateo and Brannen, making the score 13-2 and giving the Grizzlies their most runs scored in a contest since July 9. The Crushers would plate four runs in the top of the ninth for the final score, but it was not enough to deny Gateway the streak-busting win.
Alvarez led the charge with a 4-for-6 night and three RBIs, while Mateo ended up 3-for-5 with two runs scored and one RBI. Brannen also drove in three runs out of the nine spot in the batting order, while Shallenberger went 2-for-3 with four runs scored in the feel-good win.
The Grizzlies will look to make it back-to-back wins over the Crushers on Wednesday, August 13, at Arsenal BG Ballpark. Bennett Stice will toe the rubber for Gateway against Lake Erie's Dylan Spain, with first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT.
Frontier League Stories from August 13, 2025
- Cruz Leads Otters to Gritty Middle Game Win - Evansville Otters
- Mud Monsters Drop Middle Game Of Series - Mississippi Mud Monsters
- Jackals Snap Seven-Game Skid in Extra Inning Victory over Quebec - New Jersey Jackals
- Czech Belts Two Homers, Moves into Top 5 in FL History for Career HRs in Win - Washington Wild Things
- Grizzlies Lose Middle Game - Gateway Grizzlies
- Williams Four-RBI Night Provides 'Cats with Fourth Straight Win - Tri-City ValleyCats
- Boulders Lose Second Straight - New York Boulders
- Milburn Strikes out Ten En Route to Bolts Win - Windy City ThunderBolts
- Alex Calarco Delivers as Boomers Claim Second Straight at Sussex County - Schaumburg Boomers
- Telfer Terrific, Titans Edge Y'alls in Middle Game - Ottawa Titans
- Florence Falls Again in Ottawa - Florence Y'alls
- Bird Dawgs Lose Late Lead in Walk-Off Loss to Rox - Down East Bird Dawgs
- Jackals Walked off by Capitales - New Jersey Jackals
- Free Youth Baseball Clinic this Saturday - Sussex County Miners
- Ernny Ordonez Impresses in Slammers Debut as Joliet Bests Windy City - Joliet Slammers
- Bats Come Alive, Grizzlies Beat Lake Erie - Gateway Grizzlies
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
