Grizzlies' Late Rally Snuffed out in Loss to Slammers
July 13, 2024 - Frontier League (FL)
Gateway Grizzlies News Release
Sauget, Ill. - The Gateway Grizzlies nearly came back from a 5-0 deficit on Saturday night, plating four unanswered runs in the later innings, but could not equalize in a 5-4 loss at Grizzlies Ballpark against the Joliet Slammers.
The game was scoreless until the top of the third inning, when Joliet ended up plating all five of their runs. A bunt single followed by three consecutive walks issued by Lukas Veinbergs (1-4) plated the game's first run, with an RBI going to Victor Nova. On the next at-bat, Matthew Warkentin dumped an RBI single into center field, with the ball bouncing high on the turf and off Cole Brannen's glove for a critical error, clearing the bases on the play while sending Warkentin to third, and putting the Slammers up 4-0. An Antonio Valdez sacrifice fly then made the score 5-0.
Including that sacrifice fly, Veinbergs bore down, retiring 11 of the final 12 batters he faced in a six-inning start. Offensively, the Grizzlies began their comeback in the fifth inning against Brett Sanchez (4-1), as Tate Wargo led off with a bunt single, and went to third base on a single by Jose Alvarez before Abdiel Diaz scored Wargo on a sacrifice fly, making it 5-1. In the seventh inning, Gateway got within 5-2 on a wild pitch by reliever Ian Delleman, setting up the consequential bottom of the eighth inning.
Joliet's David Harrison got the first two men of the inning out, but Kevin Krause extended the inning with an infield single to shortstop. Brannen then walked after being behind 0-2 in the count, and pinch-hitter Kyle Gaedele was hit by the pitch, loading the bases and putting the tying run on first, and forcing a pitching change. Alvarez then reached on an RBI infield single of his own up the middle, scoring Krause to make it 5-3. Diaz then followed with a single to left field to make it 5-4, but while obstruction was called as Gaedele made his way towards third base, the tying runner was not awarded home plate, and instead was thrown out at home to end the inning, keeping the Grizzlies down a run.
In the ninth, Gabe Holt led off with his fourth hit of the game off Cameron Smith, but a double-play ground ball and a pop-out ended the contest, and sent Gateway to their first loss against the Slammers this season in four contests.
The Grizzlies will now look to win the series in their final game before the all-star break, a big rubber game against the Slammers on Sunday, July 14, at 5:30 p.m. CT.
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