Grizzlies Fall to Rockford on Opening Night
May 16, 2015 - Frontier League (FL)
Gateway Grizzlies News Release
SAUGET, Ill. - The Gateway Grizzlies were limited to five hits in a 6-2 loss to the Rockford Aviators on Friday night at GCS Ballpark.
A crowd of 5,344 came to watch the Grizzlies open up their season. Major League Baseball's all-time hit king, Pete Rose, was also in attendance. He coached both first base and third base for the Grizzlies during the game.
The Aviators started the scoring in the second inning when Teodoro Martinez hit an opposite-field home run to put Rockford up 1-0. Tanner Witt, the reigning Frontier League Rookie of the Year, then doubled the lead on an RBI single in the third inning to score Michael Hur, making it 2-0.
Rockford RHP Kyle Brueggemann (1-0) allowed only three hits in 6.2 innings of work. His one mistake was a pitch to Gateway newcomer Shawn Payne, which cleared the right-centerfield fence for a two-run homer. That tied the game at two apiece after three innings of play.
Grizzlies' starter JaVaun West pitched six innings of five-hit baseball, but it wasn't enough to earn the victory. The Aviators jumped on the Grizzlies' bullpen after West exited the game.
Greg Velasquez took the first pitch he saw from Troy Barton to the centerfield wall for a double. After a walk to Brian Bistagne, Devon Rodriguez doubled down the left field line to plate the eventual game-winning runs and give Rockford a 4-2 lead.
The Grizzlies couldn't solve the Aviators' bullpen, only mustering two hits after Brueggemann exited in the seventh inning.
An error by Gateway extended the inning for Rockford in the ninth. Hur belted a homerun to extend the lead to 6-2.
Richard Seigel paced the Grizzlies offensively with two hits. Three other Grizzlies had one hit.
The Grizzlies and Aviators will meet again tomorrow night at GCS Ballpark for game two of the series. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. RHP Tyler Thompson will make the start for Gateway. Rockford will counter with RHP Tony Rizzotti.
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