Castillo's Career Day Leads Grizzlies to Win
FL Gateway Grizzlies

Castillo's Career Day Leads Grizzlies to Win

July 1, 2025 - Frontier League (FL)
Gateway Grizzlies News Release


SAUGET, ILL. - The Gateway Grizzlies scored four runs in an inning three times on Tuesday night at Arsenal BG Ballpark, with Victor Castillo tying his career high for hits in a game by going 5-for-5 with three RBIs in a 13-6 victory over the Washington Wild Things.

It was Washington who struck first in the top of the first inning on a two-out, two-run single by Andrew Czech off Lukas Veinbergs (3-3), but with two outs in the bottom of the first, Gateway came back and took the lead against Wild Things starter Dominic Puccetti (2-2). Jose Alvarez and Paxton Wallace drew walks around a D.J. Stewart single, setting up Castillo, who doubled home two runs to tie the score at 2-2. Abdiel Diaz followed with a go-ahead two-run single, putting Gateway up 4-2.

Dale Thomas would expand the lead in the next inning with high-arching solo homer to left field for a 5-2 advantage, but Washington would answer with three runs in the top of the fourth on a Czech solo home run, a Kadon Morton RBI double, and a Three Hillier sacrifice fly, tying the score at 5-5.

Undaunted, the Grizzlies would jump back in front in the very next half inning. Cole Brannen led off with a double, and scored on consecutive groundouts, with Mark Shallenberger picking up the go-ahead RBI as Gateway went up 6-5. But the Grizzlies were not done there. Alvarez doubled and stole third before scoring on an infield single by Stewart for a 7-5 lead, and two batters later, Castillo singled home another run to make it 8-5. When Diaz reached on an error, it completed the inning by bringing in another run for a 9-5 lead.

After Washington got one run back in the top of the fifth to trail 9-6, the Grizzlies would have another good inning in the bottom of the sixth. Castillo singled for his fourth hit of the game with one out and stole second, leading to a Diaz RBI single and a 10-6 advantage. Edwin Mateo and Brannen would then put the game out of reach with back-to-back home runs, completing the scoring.

Castillo finished 5-for-5 with two runs scored and three RBIs, while Diaz ended up 3-for-5 with three more runs batted in. Alvarez also reached base five times in the contest, going 3-for-3 with a pair of walks, while Brannen enjoyed a multi-hit game against his former team, going 2-for-5 overall.

Having won five of their last six games and regained first place in the Frontier League West Division standings, the Grizzlies will look to win the home series in the middle game on Wednesday, July 1. Bennett Stice will take the mound for the first time as a starter, opposed by the Wild Things' Zach Kirby at 6:30 p.m. CT.

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