Boomers Sweep Gateway to Reach Championship Series
Published on September 12, 2025 under Frontier League (FL)
Schaumburg Boomers News Release
SAUGET, Ill. - The Schaumburg Boomers were able to hold off the Gateway Grizzlies and sweep the best-of-five Midwest Conference Finals, scoring a 4-2 decision on the road Friday night to reach the championship series for the sixth time in franchise history.
Schaumburg opened the scoring in the fourth inning for the second consecutive contest. Banks Tolley drew a two-out walk and Nick Podkul followed with a double off the wall. Aaron Simmons put the Boomers on the board with an opposite field bloop to left and Alex Calarco followed with a single up the middle to score Podkul. Gateway drew within 2-1 on a solo homer from Cole Brannen in the bottom of the fifth.
Kyle Fitzgerald extended the lead in the seventh with a two-run homer to hand the Boomers their largest lead of the game at 4-1. Gateway scored a run in the seventh but was denied a chance to potentially tie the game on a diving catch by Simmons in left. Caleb Riedel stranded the tying runs on base in the eighth with back-to-back strikeouts. Gateway again put the tying runs on base in the bottom of the ninth but Mitch White punctuated the sweep with a strikeout.
Buddie Pindel earned the win by allowing one run over his six innings, walking one and striking out five. White recorded his first save of the postseason. Dylan Stutsman, Dallas Woolfolk and Riedel all pitched in the win. Schaumburg finished with 11 hits. All nine members of the lineup reached base again in the win. Chase Dawson and Alex Calarco both finished with two hits.
The Boomers (58-38, 5-0) will open the best-of-five Frontier League Championship Series on the road Tuesday night against either Quebec or Tri-City.
Game Date: 09/12/2025 Schaumburg Boomers 4 AT Gateway Grizzlies 2
YTD YTD Schaumburg AB R H BI AVG Gateway AB R H BI AVG Craig, A SS 4 0 1 0 .385 Thomas, D DH 3 1 0 0 .333 Fedko, C RF 5 0 1 0 .409 Holt, G 2B 5 0 4 0 .476 Dawson, C 3B 5 0 2 0 .409 Castillo, V RF 5 0 0 0 .136 Calarco, A DH 3 0 0 0 .429 Stewart, D 1B 5 0 1 1 .333 Tolley, B CF 2 1 1 0 .421 Alvarez, J C 5 0 2 0 .238 Podkul, N 2B 4 1 1 0 .238 Diaz, A SS 4 0 1 0 .263 Simmons, A LF 4 0 2 1 .455 Smith, S 3B 4 0 2 0 .400 Calarco, Al C 4 1 2 1 .412 Mateo, E LF 3 0 0 0 .200 Fitzgerald, K 1B 4 1 1 2 .167 Brannen, C CF 4 1 1 1 .250 35 4 11 4 38 2 11 2
Schaumburg 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 0 0 - 4 11 1 Gateway 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 - 2 11 0 2B--Tolley, B CF (2), Podkul, N 2B (1). HR--Fitzgerald, K 1B (2), Brannen, C CF (1). RBI--Simmons, A LF (4), Calarco, Al C (4), Fitzgerald, K 1B 2 (4), TOTALS 4 (0), Stewart, D 1B (4), Brannen, C CF (2), TOTALS 2 (0).
HP--Tolley, B CF (1), Thomas, D DH (1). SH--Mateo, E LF (0). CS--Craig, A SS (1). E--Dawson, C 3B (2).
LOB--Schaumburg 8, Gateway 13. DP--A. Diaz(SS) - D. Stewart(1B), G.
Holt(2B) - A. Diaz(SS) - D. Stewart(1B).
YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA Schaumburg Pindel, B (W,1-0) 6.0 6 1 1 1 5 1 2.25 Stutsman, D 0.2 2 1 1 1 1 0 13.49 Woolfolk, D 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 Riedel, C 1.0 2 0 0 0 2 0 3.60 White, M (S,1) 1.0 1 0 0 0 3 0 0.00 9 11 2 2 2 11 1 Gateway Veinbergs, L (L,1-1) 6.0 8 4 4 2 8 1 3.46 Peguero, F 2.0 3 0 0 0 3 0 4.15 Collett, K 1.0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0.00 9 11 4 4 3 13 1 WP--Veinbergs, L (1). HB--Pindel, B (3), Peguero, F (1). SO--Craig, A, Fedko, C 2, Dawson, C, Calarco, A 2, Podkul, N 2, Simmons, A 2, Calarco, Al, Fitzgerald, K 2, Thomas, D 2, Holt, G, Castillo, V 3, Alvarez, J 2, Diaz, A 2, Brannen, C. BB--Craig, A, Calarco, A, Tolley, B, Thomas, D, Diaz, A. BF--Pindel, B 26 (50), Stutsman, D 5 (5), Woolfolk, D (6), Riedel, C 5 (23), White, M 5 (8), Veinbergs, L 27 (54), Peguero, F 9 (20), Collett, K 3 (6). P-S--Pindel, B 92-61, Stutsman, D 18-10, Woolfolk, D 1-1, Riedel, C 23-16, White, M 23-17, Veinbergs, L 112-74, Peguero, F 34-23, Collett, K 16-8.
T--3:04. A--941
Weather: 90, Sunny, ESE 4 MPH Plate Umpire - Jose Navas, Field Umpire #1 - Robert Moreno, Field Umpire #2 - Jhonatan Biarreta, Field Umpire #3 - Trevor Klostermann
Frontier League Stories from September 12, 2025
- Grizzlies Eliminated in Playoff Classic by Boomers - Gateway Grizzlies
- Tri-City Falls in Game 3 to Québec - Tri-City ValleyCats
- Boomers Sweep Gateway to Reach Championship Series - Schaumburg Boomers
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