Grizzlies Bounce Back, Take Series Opener at Windy City
June 29, 2022 - Frontier League (FL)
Gateway Grizzlies News Release
Crestwood, IL - The Gateway Grizzlies rallied late against the Windy City ThunderBolts on Tuesday night, tying the game on a Jackson Pritchard home run in the eighth before scoring three times in the top of the tenth inning to win 4-2 in the series opener at Ozinga Field.
The ballgame was a pitcher's duel deluxe between Windy City's Kenny Mathews and Gateway's Carson LaRue. Scoreless through the first three innings, it was the ThunderBolts who got to LaRue first on Joshuan Sandoval's RBI single in the bottom of the fourth. But the Gateway right-hander was able to strand the bases loaded that inning, holding the 'Bolts to just one run and keeping Gateway in the game. He would end up tossing seven innings in the game, and tying his career-high with eight strikeouts.
Meanwhile, Gateway could not solve Mathews, as he permitted just two baserunners in his first seven innings of work. In the eighth, the southpaw also got the first two outs quickly, but hung a pitch that Pritchard hit over the left field fence for a game-tying home run to make it 1-1.
Neither team scored in the ninth and the game went to extra innings. With the International Tiebreaker putting Jose Rosario on second base to start the inning, back-to-back errors by Jeff Heinrich at third base allowed Trevor Achenbach and Jay Prather to reach, loading the bases with none out. Cam Touchette then pinch-hit, and was struck by a pitch to force in the go-ahead run and make it 2-1. Clint Freeman then made it 3-1 on a sacrifice fly to center field, and Pritchard came up clutch again with an RBI double down the right field line for a 4-1 advantage.
In the bottom of the frame, Windy City got a run back on an RBI single by Dan Robinson to make it 4-2 and put the tying run on base with the winning run coming to the plate, but Reed Hayes struck out Jairus Richards swinging to end the game and give the Grizzlies their first win in extra innings this season.
Pritchard was the star of the show, finishing a triple away from the cycle with three of the Grizzlies' four hits in the contest as Gateway got back to the .500 mark on the season at 20-20. They will look to clinch the road series in the middle game on Wednesday, June 29, at 7:05 p.m. J.P. Williams will pitch for the Grizzlies against Windy City's Sebastian Selway at Ozinga Field.
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