Grizzlies Come Back, Notch First Win of 2026
Published on May 8, 2026 under Frontier League (FL)
Gateway Grizzlies News Release
PEARL, MS - The Gateway Grizzlies fell behind early in the middle game of their series against the Mississippi Mud Monsters, but tallied five unanswered runs in the middle frames, then warded off the home team down the stretch for a 6-5 victory at Trustmark Park on Friday night.
Mississippi ambushed Grizzlies starter Blake Peyton in his pro debut for two runs in the bottom of the first inning, taking an early 2-0 advantage. Peyton, however, would bear down for the rest of his four innings, working around traffic on the bases with five strikeouts to hold the Mud Monsters at bay.
The Grizzlies would then take advantage of Mississippi mistakes to come back. With two outs in the third, Victor Castillo hit a ringing triple to right-center field, and scored when Dale Thomas reached on an error by A.J. Fritz at third base to make the score 2-1.
Then, in the fourth against starter Brian Williams (0-1), Gateway loaded the bases on two walks and a hit-by-pitch, setting up Jose Alvarez for a game-tying sacrifice fly. Later in the frame, Sawyer Smith put the Grizzlies in front 4-2 when his fly ball to left field dropped to the grass, giving Gateway their first lead of the series.
In the fifth, Bryson Horne reached second base on another error in left field, stole third base, and scored on Mark Shallenberger's sacrifice fly to make it 5-2. The Mud Monsters got that run back in the bottom half, but Horne stepped up to the plate again in the seventh, and cracked a solo home run to right field to increase the Grizzlies' lead to 6-3 at stretch time.
That would also turn out to be the winning run, as Mississippi plated two runs in the bottom of the seventh to make it 6-5, and put the tying run in scoring position with one out. But the Grizzlies' bullpen would shut the door late. Matt Hickey got a huge inning-ending double-play to get out of the jam before pitching a scoreless eighth himself, and after a leadoff walk again put the tying run on base in the ninth, Sam Gardner returned to the mound and to the Grizzlies by striking out the side swinging for the save to knot the series at one game apiece.
Gateway will look to make it back-to-back road wins as they seek a series victory in the rubber game against the Mud Monsters on Saturday, May 9, sending Jake Burcham to the mound against Mississippi southpaw Art Joven, with first pitch at Trustmark Park set for 6:01 p.m. CT.
Frontier League Stories from May 8, 2026
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- Jones Plays Hero as Otters Open Season, 2-0 - Evansville Otters
- Grizzlies Come Back, Notch First Win of 2026 - Gateway Grizzlies
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- Wild Things Slam Joliet, Win First of 2026 in Second Affair - Washington Wild Things
- Boomers Come from Behind to Win Season Opener - Schaumburg Boomers
- Offense Rolls, Johnson Dazzles as Mud Monsters Win 2026 Season Opener - Mississippi Mud Monsters
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