Grizzlies Blow Out ThunderBolts
Published on May 25, 2023 under Frontier League (FL)
Gateway Grizzlies News Release
Crestwood, IL - The Gateway Grizzlies got seven shutout innings with eight strikeouts from starter Collin Sullivan on the mound, and put up 14 runs on 14 hits offensively in recording a 14-3 blowout win over the Windy City ThunderBolts at Ozinga Field on Thursday night, improving to 8-4 on the season.
The Grizzlies took the lead for good in the top of the second inning against 'Bolts starter Justin Miller (0-2) when Mark Vierling came up with the bases loaded and one out, and beat a potential double-play ball to first base for an RBI fielder's choice that made the score 1-0. In the next inning, Gateway drew six walks off reliever Josh Smith, using the free passes to score six runs on only two hits while batting around and taking a 7-0 lead. Six different Grizzlies had RBIs in the inning, with four of those coming on bases-loaded walks or hit-by-pitches.
Vierling then singled home two more runs in the top of the fourth to make it a 9-0 game, and Andrew Penner singled home another in the fifth for a 10-0 cushion. The score remained that way until the ninth, when the Grizzlies scored four more times against a pair of Windy City position players pitching, featuring a two-run double by Penner as well as RBI groundouts from D.J. Stewart and Jairus Richards.
Meanwhile, Sullivan (2-0) was sharp on the mound, not allowing a hit until the fifth inning, and carrying a shutout through a career-best seven innings, permitting three total hits and three walks while striking out eight Windy City hitters. The ThunderBolts would score three runs in the bottom of the ninth to break up the shutout, but it was far from enough as Gateway won the standalone game.
In total, seven different Grizzlies drove in multiple runs, led by Vierling's career-high four, while five Gateway hitters also finished with mult-hit games, led by a career-best four knocks from Penner. Gateway also drew 12 walks from the Windy City pitching staff in the blowout win.
Gateway now heads home to begin a three-game series against the Joliet Slammers over the Memorial Day weekend. Josh Lucas will pitch in the series opener for the Grizzlies, opposed by Joliet's Turner Larkins, with first pitch at 6:45 p.m. CT at Grizzlies Ballpark.
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