Grizzlies Drop Fifth Straight Game
July 22, 2023 - Frontier League (FL)
Gateway Grizzlies News Release
Augusta Township, NJ - The Gateway Grizzlies' rough week continued on Saturday night, as they could not hold a 2-1 sixth-inning lead against the Sussex County Miners in a 4-2 loss at Skylands Stadium that dropped them to 0-5 on their road trip and clinched the weekend series.
Yet again, it was a pitcher's duel to start the game between Joey Gonzalez (6-6) and Tyler Thornton (3-1), with neither starter allowing any runs until the fourth inning, when a leadoff walk by Oraj Anu and a double by Gavin Stupienski led to an RBI groundout by Johnny Hipsman and a 1-0 Sussex County lead.
Gateway responded by getting a leadoff single from Alex Hernandez and a subsequent walk by Jairus Richards, followed by a sacrifice by Eric Rivera that moved the runners to third and second base, respectively. After Clint Freeman walked to load the bases, Peter Zimmermann lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to tie the game at 1-1, and Andrew Penner came up with a clutch, two-out RBI single to give Gateway a 2-1 lead.
But that lead would only last into the sixth. After another leadoff walk drawn by Anu led off the inning, Stupienski doubled again to drive in the tying run. With two outs later in the inning, Hipsman came up again, and hit a slow, seeing-eye RBI single that barely snuck through the left side of the infield, putting the Miners ahead for good at 3-2.
After Sussex County added an insurance run in the seventh inning to take a 4-2 lead, Gateway loaded the bases on walks in the top of the eighth, putting the tying runs in scoring position with only one out. But their lack of luck on the week bit them again, as Hernandez lined out to shortstop Willie Escala, who doubled off the runner at second base to end the threat. Gateway would go quietly in the ninth inning against Robbie Hitt, who struck out the side in order for the save.
The Grizzlies will try and salvage the final game of their road trip and avoid a second-straight sweep against the Miners on Sunday, July 23, at 1:05 p.m. CT, when Carson LaRue takes the mound against Sussex southpaw Mike Reagan at Skylands Stadium.
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