Grizzlies Let Finale Slip Away in Florence
June 30, 2024 - Frontier League (FL)
Gateway Grizzlies News Release
Florence, Ky. - The Gateway Grizzlies gave up a go-ahead RBI single on a 3-2 count in the bottom of the eighth inning, snapping a 4-4 tie en route to a frustrating, 5-4 loss that clinched a series defeat against the Florence Y'alls at Thomas More Stadium.
Again, things started well for Gateway in the first inning, as Abdiel Diaz led off with a triple before scoring two batters later on an RBI single by D.J. Stewart for a 1-0 Grizzlies lead. That held until the bottom of the second inning, when with two outs, Teague Conrad fielded a ground ball near the first base line, but threw the ball away for a costly error, scoring the tying run from third base and making the score 1-1.
Gateway's offense got that run right back in the next half inning, as Peter Zimmermann doubled before coming home on a Mark Vierling RBI single to make it 2-1. But Conrad could not hold the lead, surrendering two runs in the bottom half on a sacrifice fly by Hank Zeisler and a go-ahead RBI single with two outs by T.J. Reeves, putting the Grizzlies behind 3-2.
In the top of the fifth, Gateway would received a grade-A, golden chance to not only tie the game, but also perhaps take the lead, as they loaded the bases with no outs on three straight singles, their seventh, eighth and ninth hits of the game off Florence starter Jonaiker Villalobos. But Zimmermann and Vierling both struck out before Villalobos got out of the inning unscathed with a ground ball to shortstop. A one-out hit batter in the bottom of the same inning was then driven home on a Zeisler RBI triple, making the score 4-2 Y'alls.
The Grizzlies still had a rally in them. Cole Brannen reached base on a fielder's choice, went to second on an errant pickoff throw by Dante Chirico, stole third base, and scored on a wild pitch to make the score 4-3. In the next inning, Stewart led off with a solo home run, his first since June 2, to tie the game at 4-4 off Cam Pferrer (2-0).
But in the bottom of the eighth, Gaige Vailes (0-1) walked Sergio Gutierrez with one out, and after a stolen base and a ground ball moved the lead run to third base, Ed Johnson hit a full-count RBI single just past Vierling into left field off Matt Hickey, making it 5-4 Florence. Gateway would get a two-out single by Zimmermann, followed by an error by Brian Fuentes at third base to put runners on the corners in the ninth, but would again not be able to bring in the tying run in suffering the loss.
The Grizzlies will look to bounce back when they return home for a six-game home stand at Grizzlies Ballpark beginning on Tuesday, July 2, against the New England Knockouts, with first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT.
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