Grizzlies Blast ThunderBolts in Series Opener
August 31, 2022 - Frontier League (FL)
Gateway Grizzlies News Release
Crestwood, IL - The Gateway Grizzlies used an eight-run third inning to break a scoreless game wide open, and kept up the offensive onslaught for most of the night, while Manuel Rodriguez (1-2) twirled a complete-game, three-hit shutout on the mound in a 12-0 blowout win over the Windy City ThunderBolts on Tuesday night at Ozinga Field.
After being held hitless in the first two innings by Jack Alkire (0-4), Gateway opened the third inning with six consecutive hits. Isaac Benard drove in the first run on a single, and after a wild pitch made it 2-0, Kevin Krause tripled to right field to make it a 3-0 score. Zach Racusin followed with an RBI single of his own, and Peter Zimmermann then increased the lead to 6-0 on a two-run home run, his first since June 19. But the Grizzlies were not done there- later in the inning, with two outs, Andrew Penner drove in two more runs on a single to make the score 8-0, capping the inning for the Grizzlies at nine hits to set a new season-high for base hits in a single frame.
The Grizzlies would then add on to their lead in the fifth on another Penner RBI single and a two-out RBI double by Krause for a 10-0 cushion, and completed the scoring in the eighth when Ian Bibiloni hit into a fielder's choice with the bases loaded coupled with a throwing error that scored Racusin and made it 12-0.
Meanwhile, Rodriguez went the distance for the first time in his professional career, striking out four and not allowing a single outfield hit until the eighth inning, marking the second individual shutout of the season for the Gateway pitching staff.
Five Grizzlies enjoyed multi-hit games, with Krause tying his career-high by going 4-for-4 and finishing a home run away from the cycle. Penner also finished 3-for-5 with a double and three RBIs, while Abdiel Diaz tied his season- and career-high with three hits and scored three runs. The 18 hits by Gateway as a team were one off a season-high as well.
The Grizzlies will look to make it three wins in a row and a series win when they face the ThunderBolts in the middle game of the series on Wednesday, August 31, at 7:05 p.m. CT.
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