Grizzlies Lead Wire-to-Wire, Beat Slammers to Clinch Series
Published on May 30, 2026 under Frontier League (FL)
Gateway Grizzlies News Release
JOLIET, IL - The Gateway Grizzlies got out to a fast start on Saturday night in Joliet, scoring four runs in the first inning, and rode a quality start by Ben Harris (3-2) from there to a 7-4 victory at Slammers Stadium, clinching their third straight series win overall.
Victor Castillo led off the game against Shaun Gamelin (0-1) with a walk, and the Grizzlies loaded the bases immediately on a subsequent Tate Wargo single and Mark Shallenberger hit-by-pitch. With one out, Dale Thomas got the scoring started with a ground ball to shortstop that was booted for an error by Braylin Marine, making the score 1-0. Sawyer Smith was then hit by a pitch to make it 2-0, and Mitchell Sanford followed with a sacrifice fly before Otto Jones capped the frame with an RBI single, giving Harris a 4-0 lead before throwing a pitch.
Harris would let up a run in response in the bottom of the first, but quickly settled into a groove from there. The right-hander would end up working a "quality start," lasting a career-best six and one-third innings and striking out six to tie his season-high, retiring 11 Slammers in a row at one point to earn his second straight win and third on the season.
The Grizzlies would also continue to play long ball despite the wind blowing in for much of the contest, as Sanford connected on a solo homer in the fifth that made it 5-1, and Bryson Horne would go deep as part of a two-run seventh that made the score 7-1. It was the Grizzlies' 32nd and 33rd home runs of the 2026 season, allowing them to take over the Frontier League lead through 20 games played.
Joliet would also score twice in the seventh inning and once in the ninth off the Grizzlies' bullpen to get within three, but Matt Hickey bore down and struck out the side in the ninth to secure the series win, Gateway's sixth series triumph at Slammers Stadium in their last seven dating back to the start of the 2023 season.
Now having also won eight straight games in Joliet overall, the Grizzlies will look to cap the first half of their road trip with a series sweep on Sunday, May 31, sending Ty Good to the mound against veteran Slammers southpaw Gunnar Kines. First pitch at Slammers Stadium is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. CT.
Frontier League Stories from May 30, 2026
- ValleyCats, Mud Monsters Split Doubleheader, Series - Mississippi Mud Monsters
- Slammers' Late Game Rally Falls Short against Gateway - Joliet Slammers
- Titans Blanked by Bird Dawgs - Ottawa Titans
- Fraynel Nova Spectacular in 5-2 Defeat on Saturday - Lake Erie Crushers
- Grizzlies Lead Wire-to-Wire, Beat Slammers to Clinch Series - Gateway Grizzlies
- Thunderbolts Drop Saturday Showdown with Otters - Windy City ThunderBolts
- Bird Dawgs Blank Titans 10-0 to Clinch Series - Down East Bird Dawgs
- Tom Vaeth Earns 300th Win, Czech Sets Franchise Walks Record, Wild Things Take Middle Game - Washington Wild Things
- Simpson Deals as Otters Take Road Trip Finale - Evansville Otters
- Ninth Inning Rally Falls Short at Florence - Schaumburg Boomers
- Villalobos Shines, Offense Delivers in Series Win - Florence Y'alls
- The Carnival Is Coming Back to ForeFront Field June 10-14th - Lake Erie Crushers
- Slammers Fall to Gateway 16-2 - Joliet Slammers
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
