Grizzlies' Bats Stay Hot in Romp Over Y'alls
May 12, 2023 - Frontier League (FL)
Gateway Grizzlies News Release
Florence, KY - The Gateway Grizzlies again enjoyed a stellar day at the plate offensively, using a late big inning to reach 21 hits as a club as well as double-digit runs for the second game in a row in beating the Florence Y'alls 11-2 to clinch the series at Thomas More Stadium and improve to 2-0 on the young season.
Gabe Holt got things started with a leadoff hit in the first inning just like he did last night to kick off what would become another banner day at the plate. Later in the inning, Clint Freeman's RBI single of former MLB southpaw Mike Kickham made it 1-0 Grizzlies, and D.J. Stewart followed with an RBI double of his own to make it 2-0. Just like in the first game, the Y'alls rallied back to erase their deficit right away in the first inning, tying the game at 2-2 against Grizzlies starter Josh Lucas (1-0).
But Lucas settled in from there to last five innings, allowing only three hits and striking out six batters. Gateway would give him the win when they took the lead for good on a solo home run by Abdiel Diaz in the fourth inning, making the score 3-2. With Collin Sullivan tossing up scoreless innings out of the bullpen, Gateway's offense then went to work late in the contest again.
In the sixth, Freeman and Stewart took Rodney Hutchison (0-1) deep on back-to-back pitches to make the score 5-2. An Eric Rivera sacrifice fly in the seventh made the score 6-2, and then in the ninth, the Grizzlies erupted against Brandon Mason with seven consecutive hits, scoring five times in the frame and running away with the win. Rivera, Freeman, and Stewart had RBIs in the frame, with Stewart blasting his second homer of the game to punctuate the big inning.
It was Holt again leading the charge from the leadoff spot, going 5-for-5 and setting a new career-best in hits for a single game. Freeman and Stewart had three hits apiece and combined for seven RBIs in the game, with Diaz also setting a new career-high with four hits in the contest. On the mound, Sullivan and Trevor Tietz also combined to hold Florence off the board in the final four innings of the game.
Gateway will look to sweep the season-opening set in Florence on Saturday, May 13th, with Carson LaRue starting on the mound against the Y'alls Jake McMahill at 5:36 p.m. CT at Thomas More Stadium.
Frontier League Stories from May 12, 2023
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- Grizzlies' Bats Stay Hot in Romp Over Y'alls - Gateway Grizzlies
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