Grizzlies Lose Absolute Heartbreaker in Sudden Death
Published on August 3, 2025 under Frontier League (FL)
Gateway Grizzlies News Release
SAUGET, ILL. - The Gateway Grizzlies had a 3-2 lead going to the top of the ninth inning on Sunday evening against the Windy City ThunderBolts, but failed to hold the advantage, then failed to score despite having the winning run at third with one out in the tenth, and followed up by failing to score in Sudden Death to lose the series at Arsenal BG Ballpark, with a final score of 3-3.
Windy City scored all three of their runs on home runs to the short porch in right field. Daryl Ruiz hit the first in the top of the second inning off Brady Fuller, and two innings later, Christian Kuzemka hit one of his own against Claudio Galva to make the score 2-0.
The Grizzlies would respond in the bottom of the fourth. D.J. Stewart led off the inning with a triple, and was balked home after a pitching change by Carsen Plumadore to make it 2-1. Two batters later, Dale Thomas walked and Mark Shallenberger was hit by a pitch. Pavin Parks then hit a ball to first base that got off the glove of Ruiz for an error, allowing Thomas to come home with the tying run.
The Grizzlies would then break the 2-2 tie in the bottom of the seventh when Gabe Holt singled with one out, and was followed through a pitching change by Abdiel Diaz, who walked, and Stewart, whose single loaded the bases. Victor Castillo then hit into a fielder's choice, avoiding the double play and scoring Holt to make it 3-2 Gateway.
But after a scoreless inning from Matt Hickey in the eighth, with one out in the ninth, Keegan Collett surrendered Ruiz's second home run of the game to right-center field, suffering his first blown save of the season and tying the score at 3-3.
The game went to the International Tiebreaker in the top of the tenth, and Alec Whaley came on to make his 154th career appearance as a Grizzlie, a new club record. Despite allowing a leadoff base hit in the frame, the veteran wiggled out of the jam with three straight fielder's choice ground balls, with two runners in a row being thrown out trying to advance home, giving Gateway hope for their first extra-inning home win of the season in the bottom of the frame.
But those hopes were quickly dashed in front of a big crowd. After a successful sacrifice bunt by Castillo moved the winning run to third base with one out, the ThunderBolts intentionally walked both Thomas and Edwin Mateo before Parks hit into an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play, sending the game to Sudden Death.
The Grizzlies chose to hit in their home park, and Cole Brannen sacrificed the winning run to second base. After a third intentional walk to Jose Alvarez, however, Holt lined out to shortstop, with Parks caught off of the bag at second to end the game with yet another double play, dropping the Grizzlies to 0-5 in extra innings or sudden death at home, and 1-7 on their current 10-game home stand with their third loss of the set in their opponent's final turn at-bat.
After an off day tomorrow, the Grizzlies will try and recover when they play host to the Mississippi Mud Monsters on Tuesday, August 5, kicking off a critical stretch of baseball against three teams fighting for a playoff spot at 6:30 p.m. CT at Arsenal BG Ballpark.
Frontier League Stories from August 3, 2025
- Boomers Split at Mississippi - Schaumburg Boomers
- Crushers Stifled, Swept at Home - Lake Erie Crushers
- Jackals Swept by Slammers - New Jersey Jackals
- Grizzlies Lose Absolute Heartbreaker in Sudden Death - Gateway Grizzlies
- Bolts Beat Grizzlies in Sudden Death - Windy City ThunderBolts
- 'Cats Secure Crucial Series Win over Capitales - Tri-City ValleyCats
- Bird Dawgs Fall in Sudden Death as Boulders Complete Sweep - Down East Bird Dawgs
- Boulders Rally Late, Finish Sweep of Down East in Sudden Death - New York Boulders
- Thornton Sets New Franchise Record in Strikeouts, Miners Win with Only One Run - Sussex County Miners
- Titans Drop Finale of Canadian Road Trip - Ottawa Titans
- Campbell Hits First Pro Homer as Otters Fall in Extras - Evansville Otters
- Ballard Rips Walkoff Single to Sweep Otters - Florence Y'alls
- Foster CG, Lots of Late Half Offense Lead to Huge Sweep - Washington Wild Things
- Wild Ninth Inning Comeback Culminates in Walkoff Win - Joliet Slammers
- Mud Monsters Sign 7-Foot Righty Brenton Thiels - Mississippi Mud Monsters
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